Australia 100 & South Africa 100 Overview
Water management in South Africa
South Africa’s available freshwater resources are almost fully utilized and as a result, under stress. At current population growth and economic development projections, it is unlikely that the growth in demand for water resources will be sustainable. Water supply has the potential to become a major restriction to the future economic development of the country, in terms of both the amount and quality of water available. Provisional estimates are that South Africa will run out of surplus usable water by 2025 or soon thereafter.4
Globally, South Africa is ranked among the 20 most water scarce countries in the world.5
The country receives average annual precipitation 46% South Africa 100 Response rate: (26/56)
Sectors within South Africa 100: Consumer Discretionary: 1 of 9; Consumer Staples: 6 of 13; Energy: 1 of 1; Health Care: 3 of 5; Industrials: 4 of 8; Materials: 11 of 20
Responding industries: Beverages: 1 of 2; Chemicals: 1 of 1; Construction & Engineering: 1 of 3; Electrical Equipment: 1 of 1; Food & Staples Retailing: 3 of 6; Food Products: 1 of 3; Health Care Providers & Services: 2 of 3; Machinery: 1 of 1; Metals & Mining: 9 of 15; Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 1 of 1; Paper & Forest Products: 1 of 2; Pharmaceuticals: 1 of 2; Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 1 of 2; Tobacco: 1 of 1; Trading Companies & Distributors: 1 of 2
of 495 millimeters per year, compared to the global average of 860 millimeters per year.6,7
Based
on annual renewable water supply per person (1995) at the watershed level, most of South Africa is already experiencing water stress, and some areas are experiencing extreme water scarcity; these levels are expected to intensify based on projections for 2025.8
South Africa’s approach to addressing water issues is one of integrated water resource management. A key principle of this approach is the need to balance protection of water resources with social and economic development, and the country’s only guaranteed entitlements to water are for ecological preservation and to meet basic human needs.9
“Tongaat Hulett is committed to a philosophy of sustainable development and thus considers the management of the quantity, quality and reliability of waters resources as mandatory to achieve optimum, long-standing, environmentally
sustainable, social and economic advantage for society.”
Tongaat Hulett
5 Department of Environmental Affairs, Republic of South Africa, “Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Technical Report 2009.” (
http://soer.deat.gov.za/State_of_the_Environment.html)
6 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, “Aquastat: Global Information System on Water and Agriculture.” 2011. (
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/main/index.stm)
7 Department of Environmental Affairs, Republic of South Africa, “Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Technical Report 2009.” (
http://soer.deat.gov.za/State_of_the_Environment.html)
8 World Business Council for Sustainable Development, “Global Water Tool 2011.” Version 2011.01. (
http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MTc1Mg&doOpen=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu)
9 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, “Aquastat: Global Information System on Water and Agriculture.” 2011. (
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/main/index.stm)
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