Abstract
The aim of the National Water Resource Strategy developed by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry as the public trustee of the country's water resources, is to ensure that there is enough water of the right quality for the people of South Africa. This is to be achieved through proper use and management of water resources. The Strategy describes the ways in which South Africa's water resources will be protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled. Since this may affect the way in which the various sectors of society use and value water, it is imperative that stakeholders have access to sufficient information and are provided with adequate opportunities to comment on the Strategy. Water means different things to different stakeholders. Because of the diverse nature of the South African population, several different approaches and methods were used to consult about the National Water Resource Strategy. The main principles of consulting the vast diversity of water users across the country included consultation with the various sectors of society both at national and Water Management Area level, building the capacity of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry staff to conduct their own consultation meetings and consulting stakeholders according to ability. Information was made available to accommodate the different levels of education and in different formats, allowing the broadest range of stakeholders to comprehend the information and thus contribute meaningfully during the consultation process. This multi-pronged approach to consultation resulted in many positive outcomes, which included gathering comments and issues regarding the Strategy from the broadest spectrum of the diverse South African population. Water SA Vol. 30 (5) 2005: pp.125-132
Highlights
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has developed a National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS) as set out in Section 5 of the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998)
The aim of the National Water Resource Strategy developed by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry as the public trustee of the country’s water resources, is to ensure that there is enough water of the right quality for the people of South Africa
To develop the necessary capacity to comment meaningfully, : - building the capacity of Departmental personnel at its Head and Regional Offices to conduct public consultation; - building the capacity of historically disadvantaged and other stakeholders in the water management areas (WMAs) to conduct public consultation and to contribute meaningfully
Summary
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has developed a National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS) as set out in Section 5 of the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) This Strategy, sets out proposed strategies to achieve equity, sustainability and efficiency in the use of the country’s water resources. The NWRS describes the ways in which South Africa’s water resources will be protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled It outlines the Department’s future plans and proposes arrangements with neighbouring countries for managing rivers shared with them. It describes how Government will deal with water allocations, water pricing and pollution control It outlines how the demands for water will be met in future, and the institutions that will be established to allow the public to participate in water resource management.
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