Implementing South Africas National Water Resource Strategy

1
Implementing South AfricasNational Water
Resource Strategy

• Progress Report to the Portfolio Committee on
  Water Affairs Forestry
• June 2005
• Barbara Schreiner Fawcett Ngoatje
• Department Water Affairs and Forestry

2
Context
Objective of the presentation

• To inform the Portfolio Committee of progress
  with activities relating to the management of
  water resources during the period 2004/2005

3
Water Resources Planning

• Internal Strategic Perspectives forerunners of
  catchment management strategies published for
  all 19 water management areas
• Agreement reached with Lesotho at ministerial
  level to proceed with LHWP Phase II feasibility
  study
• Pre-feasibility study on a joint management plan
  for the Lower Orange River substantially complete
  (with Namibia)
• Agreement reached on joint basin studies for
• Maputo basin (with Mozambique)
• Limpopo basin (with Mozambique, Zimbabwe and
  Botswana)

4
Protection of water resources

• Requirements for the water resource
  classification system finalised, and drafting
  commenced
• 5 comprehensive Reserves initiated, in the
  Olifants/Doorn, Komati, Letaba and Kromme/
  Seekoei rivers
• Lower-definition Reserves determined in 150
  quaternary catchments to facilitate evaluation of
  applications for water use licences
• Several baseline monitoring surveys - notably in
  the Berg River - initiated
• Groundwater studies initiated, principally to
  supplement the comprehensive Reserve
  determinations, but also in the Vaal dolomitic
  areas and the Sandveld
• Background information compiled for a policy on
  river conservation (to ensure South Africas
  rivers represent the full range of biodiversity
  and ecological functioning)

5
Water Use

• Implementation strategy for the Water Allocation
  Reform (WAR) programme drafted and public
  consultation commenced
• Validation/verification of existing/registered
  water use completed in Vaal catchment and in
  progress in Mhlathuze catchment
• Enforcement of water use conditions in
  Bapsfontein (dolomitic groundwater) and Witbank
  areas, and preparations for Tosca area
  (groundwater use)
• Licences issued
• 150 for abstraction
• 100 for afforestation (stream flow reduction)

6
Water Conservation andWater Demand Management

• National and sectoral WC/WDM strategies for
  Agriculture, Water Services, Industry, Mining
  Power Generation sectors - published after public
  consultation
• Water use efficiency conditions developed for
  water use licences
• Working for Water
• 142 500ha initial clearance of invasive alien
  vegetation
• 507 000 ha follow-up clearance
• 10 000 person hours employment created

7
Water Pricing and Financial Assistance

• Revised Water Pricing Strategy
• Consulted with key stakeholders
• submitted to Minister prior to Gazetting for
  public comment
• Revenue Collection (billing and debt collection)
  Policy in preparation
• Policy on subsidies to resource-poor farmers
  approved by Minister, and procedures being
  developed
• No subsidies granted in terms of the new policy
• Financial assistance waived or discounted water
  use charges granted
• R 71.5m paid in terms of State-guaranteed loans
  to 16 water user associations

8
Water Management Institutions (1)

• International institutions
• Agreement signed by South Africa, Botswana,
  Zimbabwe and Mozambique to establish the Limpopo
  Basin Commission
• National Institutions
• National Water Resources Infrastructure Branch
  established in the department
• Preparation of a business case to be presented
  to Cabinet early in 2005/6 - for the proposed
  National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency
  (NWRIA) at an advanced stage

9
Water Management Institutions (2)

• Local Institutions
• Nkomati Catchment Management Agency established
  and nominations for Governing Board submitted to
  Minister
• Other CMA establishment proposals
• Breede Gazetted for public comment
• Mvoti-Mzimkulu approved by Minister
• Crocodile West/Marico, Usutu-Mhlathuze and
  Thukela ready for submission to Minister
• 10 new Water User Associations established, 4
  constitutions in preparation (Limpopo)
• 10 irrigation boards transformed into Water User
  Associations, 6 submissions being processed

10
Monitoring and Information

• Groundwater mapping project
• Consolidation of 21 groundwater maps into a
  seamless GIS coverage
• Groundwater Resource Assessment Phase II
• Methodologies for determining, and draft national
  data sets for recharge, groundwater-surface
  water interactions, groundwater planning
  potential, and groundwater use
• Five-year Water Resources Monitoring Plan
  developed
• Align and integrate monitoring of quantity and
  quality, surface and groundwater, sediment and
  wetlands
• River Health Programme (biological monitoring)
• State of Rivers reports produced for Buffalo (E
  Cape), Crocodile West/Marico, Berg, Diep and Hout
  Bay rivers
• Water Authorisation Registration Management
  System (WARMS)
• Registration and billing of water use system
  fully functional

11
Disaster Management

• Drought management
• Additional funding to municipalities for
  emergency water provision necessitated by source
  failures
• Funding arranged, allocated and managed, and
  support provided
• Western Highveld Scheme (pipeline from Rand Water
  supply system in Mamelodi Cullinan Ekangala
  for domestic and industrial use)
• 1st Phase completed
• 2nd Phase nearing completion
• Morgenstond Jericho Link (power generation on
  the eastern highveld)
• Completed

12
Infrastructure Development

• Berg River Project
• Financing agreements concluded
• Placing of embankment material and concrete work
  to outlets commenced
• Housing contract commenced
• Flag Boshielo Dam
• Construction work on dam raising continued
• Nandoni Dam
• Impounding continued
• Housing completed and occupied
• Displaced farmers compensated
• Olifants River Water Resources Development
  project (De Hoop Dam)
• Project approved by Cabinet - design in progress
• Vaal River Eastern Subsystem (pipeline from Vaal
  Dam to improve assurance of supply to Eskom
  SASOL)
• Project approved by Cabinet - design in progress

13
Challenges in Implementing the NWRS

• Capacity
• Finances

14
Concluding Remarks