Analysing South Africa’s water management options mitigating drought

Abstract

South Africa is a semi-arid to arid country with a highly variable climate and highly constrained freshwater resources which are affected by weather extremes imposed by climate variability and change. Drought is one of the main constraints for crop and livestock production in South Africa. The socio-economic impacts of droughts tend to be severe in regions with an annual rainfall of less than 500 mm, hence, the annual average rainfall of approximately 450 mm makes South Africa prone to recurrent droughts. Indeed, the drought which is currently devastating parts of the country is a recurrent characteristic feature of South Africa’s highly variable climate and weather extremes. Various researchers have examined the occurrences and management of drought in South Africa. This article reviews the available options for mitigating drought through management of water resources in South Africa. It looks at various water resource management measures with emphasis on water storage.

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