Managing water for economic development

Abstract

Water and the economy G overnment’s strides in growing the South African economy have resulted in an increase in the demand for water and underscored the role of natural resources in building national wealth. However, the country’s potential water yield (i.e. water supply) is finite and options to develop feasible new water schemes are limited. The implementation of the National Water Act (NWA) in 1998 has to date not been able to significantly reverse the water use efficiency trend, hence, management of the existing supply and demand for water is a major obstacle of water policies in South Africa and in need of supporting research. Existing scarce resources are further reduced by poor water quality as a result of industrial, agricultural and domestic pollution. Many of the country’s river systems have become waste sinks for dissolved salts, nutrients, bacteria and industrial pollutants such as inorganic materials, metals and organic compounds. Salinisation and eutrophication are two of the major water quality problems the country faces.

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