Water Wheel July/Aug 2023: Source Water

Abstract

Cover feature Natural capital accounting – Keeping an eye on our water factories South Africa, a semi-arid country with limited water sources, is experiencing increased water stress due to factors such as rising demand, pollution, climate change, and inadequate maintenance and investment in water and sanitation infrastructure. Measures must be taken to address these and other issues related to our strategic water source areas to ensure future access to clean and safe water, says Aimee Ginsburg, an ecologist and the natural capital accounting project manager at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). “It is crucial to recognise that what happens in our strategic water source areas significantly impacts the water quality and quantity downstream,” Ginsburg says. Given the climate crisis and the risk of an El Niño event this coming summer, these water source areas are of considerable value, especially those that are still functioning optimally and have not been modified by intensive land use or unsustainable practices.

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