Water is life and every living being requires the source of life to survive and live a healthy life.

South Africa is a water scarce and one of the driest countries in the world, therefore we become excited and very happy when it rains and we receive much needed water. It is therefore important that we treasure every drop and use each and every drop of water in a responsible manner with respect. It is also critical to respect our water resources for water security and to prevent unnecessary loss of life.

As a water scarce country, we are always happy to receive rain. Rain revives and brings life to our streams, rivers and other watercourse and this is usually tempting for community members to dip into the water resources to cool off. We must at all times respect and never undermine running water so as to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives as we can see the lives, especially young lives lost in the past weeks in our water resources.

Kids are very curios and always want to experiment, so as adults, we must always be aware of the whereabouts of our children at all times, especially when around water resources and pools. Water is life, but can quickly turn to a source of death when taken for granted. Let us always look after our children and ensure that they have the required skills and safety equipment when playing or approaching watercourses.

It is also heartbreaking to see people doing silly things like testing the power of nature by trying to cross ravaging and flooded roads and rivers. Let us respect water and nature and stay safe at all times. Always put your life first and don’t try to cross flooded watercourses.

Rain brings relief to our watercourses in this water stressed country. The rain we are currently receiving is not enough to fill and recharge our water resources, which then calls on all of us to play a role in ensuring sustainable water supply for the current and future generations. The country is still trying to break the drought cycle, so it is critical that we all play a critical role in water security by using the available water in a conservative and wise manner. As the rain falls, let us practice rainwater harvesting to ensure that we collect some rainwater for domestic use and to relieve the strain on the municipal systems, which eventually relieves the strain on our water resources. Rainwater harvesting also ensures we make use of the rainwater and do not lose all the precious water through runoff.

As a water scarce country, let us protect our water resources and prevent their pollution as pollution makes precious water unfit for human consumption. The pollution of the water resources is also deadly, so let us always do our best to keep our water resources clean and healthy as every drop counts in this water scarce country.

Let us respect water and ensure that no water goes to waste by making water conservation our main priority, especially as we live in a dry and water scarce country. Climate change is also upon us, so let us adapt and make wise water use a priority. Let us always remember that water has no substitute and water security is in our hands.

Let us respect water and use our water resources with utmost care to prevent the unnecessary loss of precious lives. Water is life, so let us keep it that way by not testing nature by jumping into ravaging watercourses without the necessary skills.

Water is life. Let us conserve and use it wisely for water security in this water scarce and dry country. Let us also respect it for our own safety and to prevent unnecessary loss of lives.

This piece is written by Themba Khoza in his own capacity

Khoza works at the Water and Sanitation Department in Mpumalanga