A theory of change for the Living Catchments project. (Commissioned by the Water Research Commission, March 2020).

Abstract

South Africa is a water stressed country currently facing a number of water challenges including security of supply, degradation of ecological infrastructure, poor landscape governance, resource pollution and these are compounded by aging built infrastructure, growing population and the impact of climate change. The scarcity of water poses a serious threat towards growing the economy as the development agenda of the country’s most strategic sectors such agriculture, energy security, mining, tourism, urban and rural development depend entirely on adequate supply of water. This make water supply central towards realising Vision 2030. At present, more than 98% of the reliable available surface water is already prescribed, demand outstrips supply in most catchments with the Department of Water Affairs cautioning unless the current water challenges are addressed, the country will be facing a disastrous 17% deficit in water supply by 2030 (Department of Water and Sanitation, 2018). Recognition and investment in ecological infrastructure is fundamental towards ensuring quality and adequate supply of water. Important ecological infrastructure such as rivers, wetlands, mountain catchments are crucial for water security and complement the bulk infrastructure such as the dams. Healthy and well managed ecological infrastructure for water security generate and produces quality and adequate water supply thereby contributing immensely to the development agenda of the country. This implies the supply of water from the bulk infrastructure (dams, inter-basin transfers, waste water treatments) to serve the development agenda of the country relies primarily on the well-functioning of the ecological infrastructure to maintain such supply. Water security is improved through ecological infrastructure that provides, for instance, services that improve assurance of supply over time, reduce costs associated with clean water, ameliorate hazards that pose risks to people, livelihoods or built infrastructure. At the same time, fully functioning ecological infrastructure provide cost effective natural buffers against the impact of climate change, build local resilience against disasters thereby sustaining livelihoods.