Date: 19/05/2003
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Van Schalkwyk: Western Cape Water Summit
OPENING SPEECH BY WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK, ADDRESSING THE WESTERN CAPE WATER SUMMIT, Stellenbosch, 19 May 2003
WESTERN CAPE WATER SHORTAGE: SECURING OUR WATER FUTURE
Introduction
The water of the Western Cape is at the same time our most valuable natural asset and one of our largest vulnerabilities. It is a renewable resource, which belongs to all of the people of our province, and it is therefore our shared responsibility to ensure that we have the supply we need. Water is our lifeline. It is a resource too valuable to waste and our survival depends on it. It is the lifeblood of our industry, agriculture, tourism and communities. We must together find ways of ensuring our water future.
Our Provincial Government is committed to building in the Western Cape a World Class Province which Cares for all its people and the key to this is the principle of iKapa eliHlumayo - growing and developing the Cape. Growth and development requires that we not only address the challenges of the next year or two, but that we actively plan for the challenges of the next ten and fifteen years. One of the most visible and pressing of these challenges is the impending water shortage in the Western Cape.
Government alone cannot address this issue. The value of this summit therefore lies not only in its role in raising awareness, but also in the fact that we are bringing together the sectors and communities who ultimately bear the responsibility for more conservative water use, and more sustainable water management. This summit has the potential to be a valuable launch pad for new public-private partnerships geared at sharing information, resources and technical skills.
Current Situation
On the surface there would appear to be little cause for alarm. Although there are already water shortages in some catchments areas, on average supply and demand in the Western Cape seems to be in balance. There are even opportunities for increased use in the Breede River and Olifants/Doring River catchments areas.
This apparent equilibrium of supply and demand has led to widespread complacency. Although it is often acknowledged that water is a very scarce natural resource, with South Africa receiving just more than half of the world rainfall average of 900mm per year, water consumption seems to grow unchecked. This apparent equilibrium of supply and demand is however only misleading. The reality is that water consumption and demand for water in our province is growing annually at a rate of 3-4% for households and 1,5-2% for agriculture. Although the demand continues to grow, there is no way to ensure higher levels of rainfall to compensate. The reality is that water demand in the Western Cape is a ticking time bomb that we must urgently defuse.
One of the key indicators of just how finely balanced our water situation is in the Western Cape is that, in certain areas, there is not sufficient surplus water available to sustain the conditions under which natural water life can prosper. In some areas, present water use will have to be reduced or new schemes built to provide these environmental requirements.
Landbou in die Wes-Kaap is verantwoordelik vir ongeveer 43% van die totale verbruik van water in die Provinsie, hoofsaaklik deur middel van besproeiing. Verder is die stedelike waterverbruik in die provinsie 11% van die totaal, bosbou verbruik 5%, ons Reserwe waterverbruik staan op 34% en indringer plante verbruik 7% van water in die Wes-Kaap. As daar egter slegs na konsumptiewe verbruik gekyk word, dan is die landbousektor verantwoordelik vir 67% van die totale verbruik van water in die Wes-Kaap. Die realiteit is ook dat daar min opvangsgebiede is waar daar in die toekoms addisionele water aan die landbousektor toegeken gaan word. Die uitbreiding van bestaande besproeiing sal dus hoofsaaklik vanuit besparings in huidige waterverbruik voorsien moet word.
Dit is dus net logies dat die kompetisie vir water in die toekoms sal toeneem en die besproeiingsektor sal toenemend betrokke moet raak by die vind van gebalanseerde oplossings binne die landbousektor en tussen landbou en ander waterverbruikers.
Factors like changing climatic conditions, population growth and pollution are also impacting on the water supplies of the Western Cape. They cause water quality problems such as high salt content, acid water and bacterial contamination. Other major water quality problems are the result of wastewater from industry and mining, agricultural fertilizers, erosion, domestic waste and lack of sanitation. All of these seriously impact on our ability as government to provide our communities with a healthy supply of fresh water.
Within the City of Cape Town alone, demand is rising by 20 million m3 a year. The fact is that until the Skuifraam Dam has been built, at an estimated cost of R1.4bn, water restrictions will be part of our lives unless we receive abnormally high rainfall levels over this period. After the completion of the dam and the Lourens River extension, we will have temporary relief until about 2010, after which shortages will again be experienced on a regular basis.
The building of dams and water schemes is massively expensive. It has been estimated that the cost of water to the Cape Town metro region will rise by about 60c per m3 following the completion of the Skuifraam Dam. Apart from merely postponing the water shortages, this near-constant rise in costs will make it more difficult to sustain the basic amounts of free water being provided by municipalities, let alone to expand these amounts. Already some towns in our province like Hermanus, Vredendal and McGregor experience water restrictions regularly and this situation will continue unless we can find longer-term solutions.
The Provincial Government of the Western Cape believes that the key is not to find more water but rather to reduce the present demand for water.
Crosscutting Responsibility
From the side of our Provincial Government we know that we must do more to capacitate our local municipalities. This cooperation must be based on a political commitment to, and wider social awareness of the need for water security and the sustainable management of water resources. Local authorities must ensure that every department is aware of the role that they should be playing to help reduce demand and conserve our water supplies. Engineering sections should be ensuring minimum leaks and maximum re-use; treasuries should be charging for use to discourage waste; and communications departments should be making the public aware of the dangers of not conserving water.
Government alone cannot solve the problem. It is ultimately up to all of us, to be informed, responsible and involved when it comes to the problems we face with our water. We must become familiar with our local water resources and learn about ways for disposing harmful household wastes so they do not end up in rivers or streams. We must determine whether additional nutrients are needed before fertilisers are applied, and look for alternatives where fertilizers might run off into surface waters. We have to preserve existing trees and plant new trees and shrubs to help prevent soil erosion and promote infiltration of water into the soil. Our efforts must be geared towards the protection of our available water sources.
We are also aware of the responsibilities of the agricultural sector in this regard. Local, provincial and national government must find ways to assist our farming community to keep soil and water from running off their fields. We cannot control when or how much water will fall on our land but through our research we can help conserve water by changing the soil, plants, and the type of farming used to grow crops.
Daar is egter ook ander geleenthede wat benut moet word om ons beskikbare water meer effektief te gebruik.
Besparing in Stedelike Verbruik
Gedurende die 2000/2001 waterkrisis het Kaapstad reeds goeie vordering gemaak met waterbesparingsmaatre
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Van Schalkwyk: Western Cape Water Summit
OPENING SPEECH BY WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK, ADDRESSING THE WESTERN CAPE WATER SUMMIT, Stellenbosch, 19 May 2003
WESTERN CAPE WATER SHORTAGE: SECURING OUR WATER FUTURE
Introduction
The water of the Western Cape is at the same time our most valuable natural asset and one of our largest vulnerabilities. It is a renewable resource, which belongs to all of the people of our province, and it is therefore our shared responsibility to ensure that we have the supply we need. Water is our lifeline. It is a resource too valuable to waste and our survival depends on it. It is the lifeblood of our industry, agriculture, tourism and communities. We must together find ways of ensuring our water future.
Our Provincial Government is committed to building in the Western Cape a World Class Province which Cares for all its people and the key to this is the principle of iKapa eliHlumayo - growing and developing the Cape. Growth and development requires that we not only address the challenges of the next year or two, but that we actively plan for the challenges of the next ten and fifteen years. One of the most visible and pressing of these challenges is the impending water shortage in the Western Cape.
Government alone cannot address this issue. The value of this summit therefore lies not only in its role in raising awareness, but also in the fact that we are bringing together the sectors and communities who ultimately bear the responsibility for more conservative water use, and more sustainable water management. This summit has the potential to be a valuable launch pad for new public-private partnerships geared at sharing information, resources and technical skills.
Current Situation
On the surface there would appear to be little cause for alarm. Although there are already water shortages in some catchments areas, on average supply and demand in the Western Cape seems to be in balance. There are even opportunities for increased use in the Breede River and Olifants/Doring River catchments areas.
This apparent equilibrium of supply and demand has led to widespread complacency. Although it is often acknowledged that water is a very scarce natural resource, with South Africa receiving just more than half of the world rainfall average of 900mm per year, water consumption seems to grow unchecked. This apparent equilibrium of supply and demand is however only misleading. The reality is that water consumption and demand for water in our province is growing annually at a rate of 3-4% for households and 1,5-2% for agriculture. Although the demand continues to grow, there is no way to ensure higher levels of rainfall to compensate. The reality is that water demand in the Western Cape is a ticking time bomb that we must urgently defuse.
One of the key indicators of just how finely balanced our water situation is in the Western Cape is that, in certain areas, there is not sufficient surplus water available to sustain the conditions under which natural water life can prosper. In some areas, present water use will have to be reduced or new schemes built to provide these environmental requirements.
Landbou in die Wes-Kaap is verantwoordelik vir ongeveer 43% van die totale verbruik van water in die Provinsie, hoofsaaklik deur middel van besproeiing. Verder is die stedelike waterverbruik in die provinsie 11% van die totaal, bosbou verbruik 5%, ons Reserwe waterverbruik staan op 34% en indringer plante verbruik 7% van water in die Wes-Kaap. As daar egter slegs na konsumptiewe verbruik gekyk word, dan is die landbousektor verantwoordelik vir 67% van die totale verbruik van water in die Wes-Kaap. Die realiteit is ook dat daar min opvangsgebiede is waar daar in die toekoms addisionele water aan die landbousektor toegeken gaan word. Die uitbreiding van bestaande besproeiing sal dus hoofsaaklik vanuit besparings in huidige waterverbruik voorsien moet word.
Dit is dus net logies dat die kompetisie vir water in die toekoms sal toeneem en die besproeiingsektor sal toenemend betrokke moet raak by die vind van gebalanseerde oplossings binne die landbousektor en tussen landbou en ander waterverbruikers.
Factors like changing climatic conditions, population growth and pollution are also impacting on the water supplies of the Western Cape. They cause water quality problems such as high salt content, acid water and bacterial contamination. Other major water quality problems are the result of wastewater from industry and mining, agricultural fertilizers, erosion, domestic waste and lack of sanitation. All of these seriously impact on our ability as government to provide our communities with a healthy supply of fresh water.
Within the City of Cape Town alone, demand is rising by 20 million m3 a year. The fact is that until the Skuifraam Dam has been built, at an estimated cost of R1.4bn, water restrictions will be part of our lives unless we receive abnormally high rainfall levels over this period. After the completion of the dam and the Lourens River extension, we will have temporary relief until about 2010, after which shortages will again be experienced on a regular basis.
The building of dams and water schemes is massively expensive. It has been estimated that the cost of water to the Cape Town metro region will rise by about 60c per m3 following the completion of the Skuifraam Dam. Apart from merely postponing the water shortages, this near-constant rise in costs will make it more difficult to sustain the basic amounts of free water being provided by municipalities, let alone to expand these amounts. Already some towns in our province like Hermanus, Vredendal and McGregor experience water restrictions regularly and this situation will continue unless we can find longer-term solutions.
The Provincial Government of the Western Cape believes that the key is not to find more water but rather to reduce the present demand for water.
Crosscutting Responsibility
From the side of our Provincial Government we know that we must do more to capacitate our local municipalities. This cooperation must be based on a political commitment to, and wider social awareness of the need for water security and the sustainable management of water resources. Local authorities must ensure that every department is aware of the role that they should be playing to help reduce demand and conserve our water supplies. Engineering sections should be ensuring minimum leaks and maximum re-use; treasuries should be charging for use to discourage waste; and communications departments should be making the public aware of the dangers of not conserving water.
Government alone cannot solve the problem. It is ultimately up to all of us, to be informed, responsible and involved when it comes to the problems we face with our water. We must become familiar with our local water resources and learn about ways for disposing harmful household wastes so they do not end up in rivers or streams. We must determine whether additional nutrients are needed before fertilisers are applied, and look for alternatives where fertilizers might run off into surface waters. We have to preserve existing trees and plant new trees and shrubs to help prevent soil erosion and promote infiltration of water into the soil. Our efforts must be geared towards the protection of our available water sources.
We are also aware of the responsibilities of the agricultural sector in this regard. Local, provincial and national government must find ways to assist our farming community to keep soil and water from running off their fields. We cannot control when or how much water will fall on our land but through our research we can help conserve water by changing the soil, plants, and the type of farming used to grow crops.
Daar is egter ook ander geleenthede wat benut moet word om ons beskikbare water meer effektief te gebruik.
Besparing in Stedelike Verbruik
Gedurende die 2000/2001 waterkrisis het Kaapstad reeds goeie vordering gemaak met waterbesparingsmaatre
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