THE SOUTH AFRICAN IWRM SCORECARD ...

Seetal, A.1 and Mgwambani, M.2

1

Zitholele Consulting, PO Box 6002, Halfway House, 1685, South Africa.

E-mail: ashwins@zitholele.co.za
2
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Private Bag X313, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.

ABSTRACT
The South African water sector embraced the Integrated Water Resources Management
approach to its water management in the few years prior to its new democracy. In 1994, the
new government undertook to review its water legislation commencing in 1995 and culminating
in 1998. This presented the ideal opportunity to formalize IWRM through policy and legislation.
The National Water Policy (1997), National Water Act (36 of 1998) and National Water
Resources Strategy (1st Edition 2004) became the formal legal-institutional tools to give effect to
IWRM in the country. Compelling circumstances necessitated that additional legislation be
enacted to specifically address the provision of basic water needs to historically disadvantaged
communities via the Water Supply and Sanitation Policy (1995) and the Water Services Act
(110 of 1997). The performance of the South African water sector in addressing and realizing
the ideals of its Constitution (Act 108 of 1996) and the National Water Policy in relation to IWRM
provides many valuable lessons to both developed and other developing countries.
Inter alia, lessons include:
Well-researched legal and institutional structures, tools and mechanisms to support
customized IWRM in catchments;
The adoption of catchments as hydrological management units;
A single custodian and nationally-led leadership approach;
Decision-making processes that are delegated to catchment-based institutions to allow for
the customization of approaches to water management on the basis of local and regional
dynamics and circumstances;
The emphasis on sector support, stakeholder awareness and empowerment through a
number of initiatives at all levels of society. These include programmes and initiatives like
FETWater (Framework programme for Education and Training in Water), Masibambane,
IWRM Project and WinSA.
A poor common understanding of IWRM in its various manifestations;
A pre-occupation with attempting to accomplish too-much-too-soon and too many priorities
An expectation of perfection before implementation;
The over-complication of implementation processes; and
The poor deployment and an increasing dearth of IWRM-capable individuals in the active
sector.