Abstract
The increased demand for water and land in South Africa, in particular the Western Cape Province as a consequence of population growth, climate change and economic development has reportedly been accelerated from year to year. The province has been adhering to the Intergrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) which was developed in the Water Indaba of 2009 in order to respond to the joint National and Provincial action towards managing the water resources in the Western Cape Province. At the same time, there is growing empirical evidence that challenges the scientific consensus and the practical implications of implementing IWRM provincially and nationally, although the nature of the implementation challenges may differ in different contexts. Against this background, this paper investigates the nature of the practical challenges to implementing water resource management in the Western Cape region. The study reviewed existing literature on the various issues of IWRM in South Africa; the various basins in the country; the existing measures that the authorities have in place to deal with water resources management issues; the challenges that hinder the progress of their achievements and some suggestions that if considered can improve the current water resources management situations in South Africa. The availability of water and a broader range of water-related issues are identified. The recommended actions for improving the future IWRM are suggested. Challenges to improve the capacity buildings of IWRM related to enabling environment, institutional frameworks and management instruments are verified to contribute to the future directions for efficient problem-solving ability.
Highlights
Water resources are becoming increasingly vulnerable as a result of escalating demand arising from population growth, the need for increased food production, expanding industrialization due to rising living standards, pollution due to various anthropogenic activities, and climate change impacts
The province is extremely under pressure as the dam’s levels are critically low because of severe prolonged drought. This is evident by researchers from the Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS) in collaboration with the South African Weather Service (SAWS), the Council for Scientific and Industrial research (CSIR), the University of Cape Town, the University of Pretoria, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the South African Environmental Observation
This paper presented a brief review on water availability and water-related issues in the Western Cape and reveals challenges of the future Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to support sustainable development
Summary
Water resources are becoming increasingly vulnerable as a result of escalating demand arising from population growth, the need for increased food production, expanding industrialization due to rising living standards, pollution due to various anthropogenic activities, and climate change impacts. Ntokozo Malaza and Azwihangwisi Irene Mabuda: Challenges of Integrated Water Resources It is heavily marketed through professional communities, supported on the one hand, by the aid agencies and, on the other hand, by international declarations that adopt this concept [1]. Against this background, the objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to briefly overview the water availability and water-related issues in the province; (2) to evaluate the progress in implementing the IWRM plans in the Western Cape including the biases and problems being inherent inefficiency of national government and provincial administration; and (3) to describe the challenges and the benefits to the provinces applying it to their water resources management. The province is facing various challenges with regard to water resources conservation and its management
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