PRESENTATION TITLE

Presented by:Name SurnameDirectorate

Date

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation

An Overview of Drought Management in the Country

Date: 11 November 2015

The Importance of Water – “THE” critical resource

• South African climate is a highly variable• Water is naturally scarce in SA: limited freshwater resources• Water is a critical resource for growth & development• To date, water managers have successfully supported a strong

economy and ongoing socio-economic growth• To maintain the water balance, SA needs:

– Ensure that water remains high on the national agenda – “smart” water management – all citizens/users to understand & appreciate the importance

of water and work together to deal with the current drought conditions being experienced currently across six Provinces

– all stakeholders to participate in active water management– Strengthen the leadership role of Government and

governance functions– Additional water resource development, inter-basin transfers

and regional bulk water distribution infrastructure2

Shared Water Courses• Four of our major river systems with six immediate

neighbouring countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

• The total area covered by these four shared catchments in South Africa is equal to about 60% of our surface area and the mean annual flow from these rivers amounts to about 40% of the our total average river flow.

• These areas support ± 70% of gross domestic product and similar proportion of population.

• In order to regulate the use of water from these rivers, a number of bilateral and multi-lateral commissions and committees have been established between South Africa and its neighbours.

• South Africa is also party to the international convention that relates to shared water course management. 3

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International Rivers shared by South Africa

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Note skewed distribution of rainfall, which increases eastwards while evaporation rates increase westwards

National Rainfall and Evaporation

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Limited Water Resource Potential

Water is not always located near uses

Surface Water Potential Ground Water Potential

Total Runoff = 49 billion m3/year (<50% of Zambezi river)Reliable yield for use = 10,2 billion m3/year (27% of runoff)Remaining development potential = 5,4 billion m3/yrPotential re-use of return flows = 1.9 billion m3/yr

Total potential = 19 billion m3/yearUtilizable potential = 5 billion m3/yearEconomical use is less due to size & locationCurrent est use = 2-3 billion m3/year

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Development of major water resource projects since 1994

Water Security _DG

Nandoni Dam - completed

De Hoop Dam - completed

Inyaka Dam - completed

Spring Grove Dam - completed

Berg River Dam - completed

Raising of Clanwilliam Dam – under implementation

Vioolsdrift Dam – under planning

LHWP 2 (Polihali Dam) – under implementation

To use Increasing Return Flows in Crocodile (West) River System

To increase transfers from Luvuvhu/Letaba

Raising Tzaneen Dam & Constructing Nwamitwa Dam

Maguga & Driekoppies Dams - completed

uMkhomazi Water Project (Smithfield Dam & tunnel) – under planning

Hazelmere Dam Raising- under implementation

LHWP 1 (Katse & Mohale Dams) - completed

Mzimvubu Water Project (Ntabelanga & Lalini Dams) – under implementation

Water BalanceWater Balance7

Current water resources mix

At 98% assurance level of supply RSA’s water use is constituted of:– 77% surface resources– 9% ground water– 14% return flows– Desalination < 1%

This water mix needs to be altered in future by increased use of currently under-utilized water resources such as groundwater, re-use of water, desalination, rainwater and fog harvesting

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Water Use per economic sectorWater Use per economic sector

2.5% 2%

2.5%

3%

3%

27%

60%Agriculture:

irrigation

Agriculture:Stock water/

Nature conservation

Mining Power generation

MunicipalUrban = 24%Rural = 3%

Industry

Afforestation

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National Water Resources Strategy National Water Resources Strategy • Fresh (surface) water resource at its limit in many catchments

• Sufficient potential water available through improved efficiency and water loss management, re-use, local resource optimisation including groundwater, improved resource use control, resource protection, desalination, transfers, system operation optimisation

• However, accessibility to adittional water is conditional and at a cost:

• Requires effort and timeous implementation of interventions

• Spatial requirement and availability challenges

• User sector viability challenges

• Water quality and habitat integrity a major concern;

• Need to “stretch” available water, funding and existing infrastructure;

• Major social, economic, environmental risks if not addressed properly.

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Water Use Efficiency

Competition for scarce water resources is increasing between all water use sectors, i.e. agriculture, industry, power generation, mining, commercial, domestic and environment

All Reconciliation Strategies for Metros as well as for All Towns and villages in SA state that Water Conservation and Water Demand Management shall be the first intervention to implement in every water use sector to reduce needs

It is generally the most cost-effective intervention to implement to postpone the need for constructing expensive new infrastructure

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Reconciliation Strategies: Water Resource Stressed Towns

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CategoryCount of schemes

% of schemes

no shortage > 10 yrs 334 37%

water resource shortage 5 - 10 yrs 113 12%

water resource shortage 1 - 5 yrs 120 13%

water resource currently in deficit 273 30%

unknown 65 7%

Grand Total 905 100%

30% require urgent water

resource security intervention 12

Water QualityIt is essential that water be of appropriate quality for

intended uses. Deteriorating water quality is a major threat in RSA and can render water unfit for use

• Main sources of impact on water quality are:– discharge of urban and industrial effluent to rivers– high salinity irrigation return flows– wash-off and leachate from mining operations– wash-off from areas with insufficient sanitation

• Increasing water use leads to increasing pollution of the water resources through return flows

• Proper effluent treatment and disposal becomes crucial• Effluent disposal strategies are a critical elements in

water resource management that need to be developed by all municipalities

• Optimal implementation of the recommendations of the Green and Blue Drop assessments 13

12 Month Standard Precipitation Index

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Rainfall Forecast

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• Disaster risk planning revolves around the identification of preventative measures, early warning systems and contingency planning. Various long term strategies are being considered as preventative and preparedness measures. Drought is a natural phenomina which is also impacted by climate change and El Nino Important possible interventions that could be implemented in the medium-longer term are:

• In response to the potential hydrological impacts of the drought (and floods which inevitably follow the drought), the Department has devised various mitigation measures/strategies, including inter alia:– improvement of operating rules for dams to deal with droughts (and

attenuate floods ) – improvement of the early warning systems, – redesigning spillways; – where feasible storing excess overland running water underground (ground

water recharge eg: Langebaan Aquifer, Polokwane Sand River Aquifer) – harvesting rainwater; – managing water demands – encouraging the nation to use water sparingly– Engagement with neighbouring countries: shared water courses.

General Drought/(Flood) Mitigation measures

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Provinces Affected by the Drought

• Limpopo• Kwazulu Natal• Mpumalanga• Free State• Northern Cape• North West• Gauteng (stress on the supply systems due to

high demand and current high temperatures)

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Mitigation Measures to ensure water security in dealing with the Drought

• Water conservation and water demand management (War on Leaks)• Surface water resource management (Optimised the operation of the Vaal

River System) • Managing and use of groundwater resources (drilling and equipping

additional boreholes)• Re-use and desalination of water (Mossel Bay, Sedgefield, Bitterfontein)• Eradication of invading alien plants/catchment care (WfW)• Eradication of illegal water use (Enforcement in the Vaal River System)• Development of surface water resources (Hazelmere and Clanwilliam,

Tzaneen)• Transfer of water (LHWP Ph 2, emergency transfer Tugela to Goedetrouw,

Othangathi River transfer to Hazelmere)• Rainwater harvesting (provision of tanks in selected areas)

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Why is the Vaal River System so important

• Supply water to 60% of economy, 45% of population

• Mines and industries on Eastern Mpumalanga Highveld

• Bulk of Eskom’s coal fired power stations

• Gauteng

• NW and FS goldfields

• Kimberley

• Large irrigation schemes

• System in deficit due to unlawful use (masked by full dams)

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Vaal River System

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Tugela Vaal Transfer System

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Driekloof and Sterkfontein Dam

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ConclusionsThe following main conclusions can be derived from the analysis:• The meteorological and hydrological drought could cause a socio-

economic drought which could severely impact the agriculture industry of the certain Provinces such as Kwazulu-Natal, Free State and others where economies are reliant on agriculture exports.

• According to the drought indicators and current dam levels, some areas of the South Africa are experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions.

• Drought conditions have spread throughout South Africa and are affecting more than one Province.

• Conditions of drought are evident in various parts of South Africa• There are measures put in place to alleviate dire situations and

there will be continuous monitoring and assessment of the situation

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THANK YOU!