News from the South African water sector (July 2008)

Abstract

The Department of Water Affairs & Forestry’s (DWAF’s) Guideline for the Assessment, Planning and Management of Groundwater Resources in South Africa is now available online. Many communities in South Africa rely on groundwater aquifers as their main or only source of water. While groundwater resources are increasingly being assessed and developed standard procedures have been lacking. This prompted DWAF to develop the guideline that can be followed and adhered to when undertaking assessment, planning and management of groundwater resources in the country. It is anticipated that the guideline will lead to the sustainable development, protection and management of South Africa’s groundwater resources, and will assist in achieving the overall goal of integrated water resource management within the department. The guideline is presented in three chapters. The first chapter provides a conceptual overview in terms of the purpose of the guideline, the location of groundwater resources, the regulatory framework, principles and approaches, as well as institutional arrangements.

Authors

Categories