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Date : 11/04/2006
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Dowry: Water Resource Management Summit


  Speech by Cobus Dowry, MEC of Agriculture in the Western Cape at the Water resource Management Summit Goudini Spa

Chairperson,
Honourable Minister Sonjica,
Premier Rasool,
Colleagues in the Western Cape Cabinet,
Heads of departments,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Nature is made up of four basic elements; the four elements are traditionally referred to as earth, water, air, and fire. We can easily perceive the physical aspects of these elements all around us through the use of our five senses. The soil in the ground is a manifestation of the element earth, the oceans and rivers demonstrate the element water, the wind and air that we breathe are associated with the element air, while physical fire, the heat of the sun and lightning are representations of the element fire. We have an abundance of these four elements in the Western Cape in some form. On earth we have almost 13 million hectares for cultivation. The air manifests itself in the South Easter which sometimes sweep one of one's feet. Fires occur annually and cause devastation in our informal settlements and our mountain ranges. The crucial area of these four natural elements is in our water supplies. Although we have two oceans bordering the Western Cape we battle with fresh water for human consumption and for agricultural use.

I experienced this again in the last two weeks while inspecting some of my department's projects in the Klein Karoo. Whilst visiting emerging farmers near Oudtshoorn and at Zoar the one common thread in the problems experienced are the lack of water. This factor and this factor alone is a huge stumbling block in the successful outcome of farming operations in our Agri-bee projects. (Minister I want to abuse this opportunity to invite you to come to Zoar as there are certain problems which the Department of Water Affairs can solve.)

It is therefore extremely important that whilst we are suffering from drought that we address this problem in trying to find alternatives. The protection and optimal use of agricultural water is therefore one of the top priorities of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.

The following projects are presently undertaken or will start in the next financial year in order to promote the optimum utilisation of the water resources of the province.

1. The first phase of the Western Cape Olifants/Doring River Irrigation Study (WODRIS) has been completed recently at a cost of R6, 5 million. The aim of the study is to determine how and where the unutilised water resources of the Doring River can be used for irrigation and thereby creating much needed job opportunities in the west coast region of the province. The establishments of emerging farmers through a spectrum of options such as full ownership, equity projects and joint ventures with commercial farmers and out grower schemes were investigated.

The next phase of the study that will commence during 2006 will be at feasibility level and will include determining what ground water resources are available in the area for the conjunctive use of surface and ground water, drilling at he proposed dam site to determine the foundation conditions and a more detailed engineering and agricultural economic study with regards to crops yields, system costs and affordability.

2. The Oudtshoorn Agricultural Water Study (OLWO) is presently under way to determine how water savings could be realised in the area served by the Stompdrift and Kamannassie Dams near Oudtshoorn. Costing of the various options are done to determine the economic feasibility and also to determine how the ‘saved water’ can be made available for use by emerging farmers/empowered farm workers.

3. There seem to be an ever increasing demand for water by golf resorts in the George area. This area is the most important dairy and vegetable producing area in the province and there is a need for more water to be allocated to the agriculture sector to allow expansion to ensure a more reliable supply of water and to establish emerging farmers in these farming types. George is also one of the fastest growing towns in the province and hence the water demand for urban use also increases annually.

It is anticipated that the George Water Study (GWO) will start towards the end of 2006/2007 financial year. The aim of the study will be to determine the availability of water resources in the area, the demand from the different sectors and to come to some sort of agreement with the relevant stakeholders on a future water allocation to each sector.

4. Agriculture use approximately 50 percent of water in the province and it is therefore very important that this water should be used as efficient as possible. It was with this in mind that the agricultural water conservation programme was started in 1999. The aim of the programme is to monitor existing water use and to provide technical information and support to producers to increase their water use efficiency (kilogram of crop produced per cubic meter of water).

Presently these monitoring and technology transfers take place in Stellenbosch (plums), Worcester (wine grapes), De Doorns (table grapes), Ceres (pears), Vredendal (wine grapes) and the Sandveld (potatoes).

The existing program to promote efficient water use by the agricultural sector by both commercial and emerging farmers will be continued this year and extended to other areas within the province.

5. As stated in the beginning the availability and reliability of resources is a critical component in every Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) project where the aim is to produce crops under irrigation. The evaluation of business plans submitted to the Department of Land Affairs and Agriculture take up a lot of time of our engineers and technicians to ensure sustainability of these projects as far as the availability and quality of water resources of these projects are concerned.

6. Through the provincial infrastructure grants, agricultural infrastructure is provided to emerging farmers, LRAD projects and rural communities in the province. This includes a range of engineering infrastructure such as dams, pumps, pipelines, canals, irrigation systems, boreholes and reservoirs.

These projects are executed in line with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) of the province and need a lot of engineering input which include the planning, design, tender, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance phases of the projects.

7. The protection of our scarce water resources from pollution by animal waste is achieved by providing a planning and design service for animal husbandry. This includes the planning, design and providing of engineering drawings for animal housing and handling structures to both our commercial and emerging farmers.

8. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture provides the chair and secretariat for the Coordinating Committee on Agricultural Water (CCAW) of the province. Department of Water Affairs, Land Affairs and Cape Nature are also represented on this committee. The task of this committee is to ensure that any projects where government funding is involved are sustainable from a water utilisation, agricultural engineering and economic point of view. Projects submitted have to be evaluated to determine the feasibility and sustainability.

The brief of this committee will be extended in the near future to also include the evaluation of any water use license application that is submitted to the Department of Water Affairs. The National Water Act, 1998, requires that a water use license need to be issued to every water user and this process has already started in terms of proposed new water uses.

The proposed or existing water use and efficiency of that use need to be determined and evaluated in order to provide comments and recommendations to the water affairs to assist them in the evaluation of these license applications.

As can be seen from the above the extent of these services required to achieve the priority goal of the protection and optimal use of agricultural water resources of the province is huge and cannot be undertaken by the very limited present staff incumbent of two engineers (of which one is the Deputy Director of the sub-program Engineering Services), one engineering control technician and four engineering technicians. With the additional funds provided for 2006/2007 two additional engineering technicians will be appointed.

We will however still be very far from the proposed incumbent of two dedicated engineers one engineering control technician and thirteen engineering technicians as proposed in the recent organisation investigation that was undertaken by the Directorate Organisation Development of the office of the Premier and approved by the Head of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.

Chairperson, the Department of Agriculture is committed in managing our water resources responsibly and will join other departments and agencies with their inputs and expertise but we need an integrated approach and a partnership with the general public to become water wise. With a population of 4, 4 million in this province that must bath or wash everyday must brush teeth at least twice a day, must cook every day, must flush their toilets a couple of times a day, must water their gardens every day, enormous quantities of water are consumed and wasted.

We therefore need a new approach to make this population water wise, to understand the need to save water and to understand and appreciate the need to consume water responsibly. Government must also follow the same approach on all levels as my understanding is that for example huge amounts of water supplied to municipalities are unaccounted for. This is an occurrence at every municipality all over the world but we need to try and reduce the amount of water lost due to infrastructure, seepage etc. The water wise approach must therefore also be extended to levels of government which provide water.

We will only succeed if we are genuinely prepared to join hands in a seamless effort by all government departments in order to manage and develop our water resources that play such a major part in the sustainable development in the Western Cape.

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial Government
11 April 2006
   

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