Managing water: Embracing the opportunity of risk

Abstract

Risk management Managing water: Embracing the opportunity of risk The complex set of risks and uncertainties associated with drinking and wastewater systems requires risk governance to be at the heart of water service providers. It is required by South African law, yet many municipalities are still struggling to integrate risk governance into their business, including their water and sanitation operations. And although risk management practices are undertaken in many municipal water departments, these are often just focused on operational activities related to water quality and quantity (such as the Blue Drop, Green Drop and No Drop programmes, water safety and wastewater risk abatement planning). Risk management has not necessarily translated into risk governance at a more strategic level. These and other issues were tackled by Andrew McDonald and Jessica Fell in a recent study funded by the Water Research Commission. McDonald worked at the consultancy firm Arup and Fell was a Masters student at the University of Cape Town at the time of doing the research.

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