Viewpoint - Why has the South African National Water Act been so difficult to implement?

Abstract

Water legislation The South African National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) was hailed by the international water community as one of the most progressive pieces of water legislation in the world, yet, 15 years down the line, implementation of the Act has been only partially successful. Former Deputy Director-General: Policy and Regulation of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and current Chair of the Water Research Commission, Barbara Schreiner, sets out some personal reflections on the challenges facing the implementation of this remarkable piece of legislation and on the failure to achieve the initial high ambitions within the South African water sector. The NW A was aimed at fundamentally reforming the previous Water Act of 1956 which was not only racially discriminatory in how water was allocated, but was based on the legislation of water-rich Europe which was not appropriate for a water-scarce country such as South Africa.

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