SA's rich water history unearthed

Abstract

The Water Wheel September-October 2005 21HYDROPOLITICS Water remains one of the most influential factors in South Africa’s history it has been revealed by a recently published Water Research Commission report. The report, A Hydropolitical History of International River Basins, summarises the findings of a study of the country’s four international river basins – the Orange, Limpopo, Incomati and Maputo. This is the first time that the hydropolitical history of these major international river systems in South Africa has been captured in one coherent document. As the authors point out: “From the beginning of South Africa’s history water has played an important role in the shaping of the country, not only demographically, but also politically. Water availability helped to determine where and how humans lived, and influenced the way in which they relate to each other.

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