Out-of-the-box thinking required to secure SA’s water future

Abstract

OPINION As our climate is changing and the main input into our water resources, rainfall, becomes more variable in time and space we need to adjust how we manage and value our water resources. Water is an important cog in our economy. The challenges we face are not only on the supply-side, but also on the demandside. On the one side the custodians of our water resources are blamed for our water woes through poor planning and operation and maintenance. Water users are blamed for excessive water use. South Africa’s per capita water use is of the highest in the world. The world average is 170 L per day compared to our average of 235 L per day, and in some metropolitan areas can reach 600 L per day. This is while we have rural communities that still do not have adequate access to water – some below 50 L per day. There is a need to radically change how we supply and use water in this country. As our water demands grow we should do things differently while tackling our challenges head-on.

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