Water management: distilling criteria for effective management at catchment level

• Main Author: Edwardes, Katherine
• Other Authors: Feris, Loretta
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2016
• Subjects: Environmental Law
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19746

Includes bibliographic references === Of all the natural resources available on earth, it could be argued that water is the most important and essential to human health and well - being. Water is a scarce and finite resource and must therefore be used in such a manner as to preserve and protect it. Statistically, South Africa is a water scarce country and water demand is on the increase due to an increase in population, economic development and living standards. The scarcity creates a need to protect the little water South Africa has and so various policies, laws, guidelines and entities exist to control the use and management of water. South Africa has recently put plans into action to establish nine catchment management agencies, as provided for in the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998), to deal with the management of water at a catchment level. The establishment and operation of these nine institutions are behind schedule and the outcome of the process thus far is below the desired level. Management of natural resources is done by a wide range of institutions with a variety of management styles according to certain management principles and plans. These management styles can be adjusted to suit the management of most types of natural resources, and because of the interdisciplinary nature of water management, elements from all the management styles can be drawn from to suit water management. Three management and governance styles or concepts were identified for this study. The characteristics and principles of these concepts have been divided into different aspects or broad themes of water management. The National Water Act 36 of 1998, specifically the sections related to catchment management agencies, is reviewed to identify the provisions that might be preventing them from adopting the principles of successful management as suggested by the three governance and management styles.