The river guardians of Groot Marico

Abstract

Water resource management The Crocodile (West)-Marico is one of the most developed and economically active water management areas (WMA) in South Africa. Mostly located in the North West Province, parts of it fall in the northern regions of Gauteng and the south-western corner of the Limpopo province, and include the urban areas of northern Johannesburg, Midrand and Tshwane. This WMA is the single largest contributor to our national wealth (25% of the gross domestic product). The Crocodile and Marico rivers are the two main rivers in this WMA, which at their confluence form the Limpopo River that flows eastwards to the Indian Ocean. The latter, again, is an international river that is shared by Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The headwaters of the west flowing Molopo River, a tributary of the Orange River, also forms part of the WMA. Moreover, the area boasts a number of unique features, including the Cradle of Humankind, Pilanesberg Nature Reserve and dolomitic eye system at the source of the Molopo, Molemane and Marico rivers.

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