Evaluating the effectiveness of the current water resource management approaches in maintaining the requirements of the South African guidelines for aquatic ecosystem: a study of Hennops River
Date
2020
Authors
Sadiki, Andronica
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Abstract
Surface water resources management in the past has been coordinated on a centralized level. Currently management of this water resource is a decentralized ordination. The decentralization has seen great legislative development. The National Water Act no.36 of 1998 has brought about many changes in the water resources management field ranging from institutional arrangement to policies, strategies and water use guidelines. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the current water resource management approaches in maintaining the requirements of the South African Water Quality Guidelines for aquatic ecosystems. The study area evaluated was Hennops River, focusing on the parts of the River that pass-through Centurion, due to the controversy related to its sewage pollution. Methodologies employed during the study period consisted of literature review, water quality data analysis, interviews and questionnaire and observation conducted along the study area with photographs taken.
It was found that Hennops River is at great risk of direct pollution by both authorized and non-authorized water users. The catchment management agency within the study area was also found to be un-operational. Furthermore, it was also found that the water quality-monitoring programme by The Department of Water and Sanitation had been suspended, and therefore there were no water monitoring results available for our analysis. The study noted that the water quality-monitoring programme has been acknowledged globally as a critical water resource management tool. The suspension of the water quality-monitoring programme by The Department of Water and Sanitation is thus noted as a major step back in the water resource management field. Therefore, research findings strongly recommended the urgent need by regulating authorities to review the South African Water Quality Guidelines: Aquatic Ecosystems and National Water Resources Strategy, which will ensure progressive development of the said documents and management thereof of water resources
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science,
School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, 2020