limited) and transfer schemes( and where the opportunity exists, it is at great cost); and
• Desalination: 1. Small-scale seawater desalination is already being used in certain areas; 2. Treated mine water desalination is becoming more imperative; 3. Desalination of seawater on a large scale; 4. Catchment rehabilitation, clearing of invasive alien plants, and rainwater harvesting is growing in importance; and 5. Making more water available in the future, but at sharply rising costs.
“ Given constraints and demands on the resource, we cannot afford practices that reduce supply, such as pollution, inefficient water management practices, lack of infrastructure maintenance, unaccounted for water, and poor governance.
“ Our national economic and development priorities, together with the complex environment within which we operate, require a‘ new’ era of advanced and smarter water management. This strategy provides for robust and sustainable water sector institutions( including nine catchment management agencies and nine regional water utilities) that have the necessary capacity to manage our water resource sustainably and equitably, as well as ensure sustainable and effective service delivery,” Balzer states.
According to him, the concepts, approaches, and themes spelt out in this strategy are in line with international principles and approaches( World Water Forum and Rio + 20 Summit) where social and economic goals are aligned, sector investment is increased, and water is recognised as fulfilling a central role in socio-economic planning and development.
“ A key challenge of this strategy is to increase our skills and capacity within the sector for both water resource management and water services. Institutions must be appropriately staffed and resourced, and towards this end we will continue to prioritise skills development, staff motivation, and capacity building at all levels. Increasing our regulatory capacity to improve compliance and ensure that standards and licence conditions are met, is an integral part of strengthening our institutional framework and capacity.
Contribution to transformation
“ Our sector makes a critical contribution to South Africa’ s transformation, development and growth objectives. Access to safe water supply and making water available for productive purposes profoundly affects the daily lives of poor people and supports rural livelihoods. Through achieving these objectives we will significantly contribute to equity, redistribution, and reducing poverty in South Africa,” says Balzer.
He points out that successful implementation of this strategy will bring about great benefits: access to water and sanitation for all South Africans; availability of water to support economic growth and job creation; protection of existing assets; stimulation of the construction sector, including small and medium-scale enterprises; and protection of our precious water resource for current and future generations.
The NWRS2 acknowledges that South Africa is a water-stressed country and is facing a number of water challenges and concerns, which include security of supply, environmental degradation and resource pollution, and the inefficient use of water.
The response to the strategic context and the imperatives set out in the three core objectives is delivered through strategic themes, which discuss in detail the context and challenges, key principles to be sustained, and objectives of that particular theme, and then proposes strategic actions to achieve the stated objectives.
The most important consideration in all themes discussed is that water is scarce and it requires careful management to enable provision of basic water services and equitable allocation, while meeting the needs of inclusive economic growth without threatening the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The water resources planning, infrastructure and development theme indicates that
12 Water Sewage & Effluent November / December 2016