The Ecological Reserve: Towards a common understanding for river management in South Africa

Abstract

The legal requirement for an Ecological Reserve established in South Africa’s water law is commonly regarded by stakehold ers as being in direct competition with the needs of humans. This has resulted in much debate and varying interpretations of the meaning and purpose of the Ecological Reserve. However, the requirement for water that is allocated to sustain ecosystem functions is directly aligned with options for human use arising from rivers to deliver a suite of ecosystem goods and services to society. In this paper, we propose a conceptual approach to support a more constructive debate around the role and function of the Reserve in the sustainable use and protection of a suite of benefits to society. The approach proposes that debate be structured around managing for a dynamic ecological state in rivers that would in turn achieve the desired (albeit dynamic) mix of goods and services to a wide range of stakeholders.

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