What more individuals need to understand is that water does not simply come from a tap; it is sourced from healthy and functioning ecosystems, and if these ecosystems are not looked after the country will be in much more of a bad situation than it currently is.
South Africa is a water-scarce country with lots of mining and industry, but with rainfall distributed unevenly over the landscape in seasonal cycles that drive the excesses of floods and droughts and feast to famine. With the current drought and water shortages, it is necessary that authorities act decisively to prioritise the management of South Africa’s water resources and the ecosystems that provide water.
South Africa is the third most biodiverse country in the world, with 223 different types of river ecosystems and 792 different types of wetlands ecosystems. Rivers, wetlands and aquifers form a fascinating and essential part of our natural heritage, and these freshwater ecosystems have been mapped and classified into National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPAs). This mapping shows that 60% of the river ecosystems are threatened and 23% are critically endangered. The wetlands in South Africa are in an even worse condition, with 65% being threatened, and 48% being critically endangered.
The above ecosystems represent a huge diversity in physical conditions, and their health is integral to the amount and quality of drinking water in South Africa. The health of these ecosystems is measured by the diversity and health of the species that share these resources. An ecosystem consists of microbes, plants and animals that interact with and control the water and chemical cycles – this determines how a particular ‘water resource’ is used.
South Africa must urgently protect its water resources and ensure them in the most efficient and effective ways possible. Water must be protected along its journey from source to end-user; leaks need to be stopped; modern infrastructure is required to replace old and outdated pipes, and individuals need to be taught how to save, reuse and recycle water.
The government also needs to invest in the critical ecological and engineered parts of the water cycle, and also manage it better, from the first step in the water cycle where rainfall becomes river flow, to the last step, which is the delivery of water to customers all over the country.
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