Part of the reason for the Royal Crown Prince of Denmark’s visit to South Africa in November, 2015 was to continue the collaboration between Denmark and the South African water and renewable energy sectors.
This collaboration includes an investment in South Africa’s water sector in collaboration with the environmental organisation, WWF South Africa. The Royal Danish Embassy and WWF-SA demonstrated technology and skills development in water management in South Africa via several pilot projects in 2014/15 and the initial results were presented in a new WWF-SA report titled ‘Innovations in the SA water sector: Danish investment into water management in South Africa.’
The Danish government has made significant investments in the implementation of integrated water resource management since 1994, in support of the South African National Water Act (1998) and the development of South Africa’s water sector.
This collaboration came about after a call went out for Danish-South African partners to submit proposals for developing collaborative innovative pilot projects that could be tested in the South African context following a learning exchange visit by more than 20 South African representatives from local government, the Department of Water and Sanitation, WWF-SA, and the South African Local Government Association to Denmark in 2013.
National, municipal, landscape and farm-based level issues were addressed via the pilot projects. Around 37% water loss occurs at municipal level in most South African municipalities, which is why one of the projects tackled leaks in one of the rural areas in Limpopo province through the use of simple water meters.
In the Drakenstein Municipal area in the Western Cape, the project’s focus was on improving water and energy efficiency in wastewater treatment.
There were various farm-based innovations, including making wood chips out of chopped down alien vegetation and using it to create a mulch in fruit orchards that will save water and reduce flood and fire risks in the cleared areas. Downstream river irrigation efficiency was enhanced and a proactive approach to water stewardship in high water risk areas was also taken.
New computer models have also assisted in monitoring and improving flood forecasting within the Inkomati catchment area in Mpumalanga province, and other projects were also done on national level.
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