How is scarce water in South Africa really allocated and what are the implications for catchment resilience and fruit production?

on 6th Nov 2018

By Bruce Lankford (University of East Anglia), and Jon McCosh, Mlungisi Shabalala and Lutendo Mugwedi (Institute of Natural Resources) Abstract In this piece we argue that; 1) an absence of purposive managed water allocation can be observed in some... Read more »

Categories: Africa Agriculture Blog Climate change adaptation Drought Ecosystems Gamification Groundwater Nexus Resilience River basins uMngeni

Fixing the water system in South Africa

By: Duncan Hay on 1st Aug 2018

When we achieved democracy in South Africa, the government recognised that without effective revenue collection and allocation, the country’s aspirations as a developmental state would be severely constrained. So they went to work to ensure there was an efficient... Read more »

Categories: Africa Blog Drought River pollution uMngeni Water services

National water governance: A bigger deal than drought?

By: Dr Sandile Hadebe and Mr Jon McCosh on 16th May 2018

A decade ago, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in South Africa was facing difficulties in offering basic services. Unmaintained ageing infrastructure was causing problems, with pipes either bursting or leaking severely. The country was already experiencing a water supply deficit from... Read more »

Categories: Africa Agriculture Blog Drought Resilience Water services

What city managers can learn from the management of water in conservation areas

By: Bimo Nkhata on 19th Mar 2018

Conservation areas such as the Kruger National Park in South Africa possess attributes akin to the properties of modern cities. Both tend to be managed as closed systems without due regard to the external forces that shape their function... Read more »

Categories: Africa Blog Drought Monash South Africa

A right to water…and a right to information about water?

By: Duncan Hay on 12th Mar 2018

We live in a world where we are bombarded with information. Some information is obvious – we don’t need to be told that our city is dirty; we can see it. We don’t need to be told our rubbish... Read more »

Categories: Africa Agriculture Blog Drought River pollution uMngeni

‘Building Leaders, Making Impact’ at the 8th IYWPC

By: Linda Downsborough on 1st Feb 2018

The 8th International Young Water Professionals Conference (IYWPC), was held in South Africa from the 10-13 December 2017. According to the President of the International Water Association, the IYWPC series has become the ‘must attend event’ for young water... Read more »

Categories: Africa Blog Drought Monash South Africa River basins Student scholarships

Cape Town – can it happen here?

By: Duncan Hay on 5th Dec 2017

There is an interesting question being posed in the corridors of power. Can the Cape Town water crisis happen in Pietermaritzburg and Durban and, if so, what should we do to avoid it? This formed part of the deliberations... Read more »

Categories: Africa Blog Climate change adaptation Drought Ecosystems Groundwater Monash South Africa River basins River pollution uMngeni

First Peruvian Congress Agua-Andes: Science-policy dialogues for sustainable development

By: Chad Staddon and Bram Willems on 25th Oct 2017

A long time in the planning, it was great to see the Congress Agua-Andes (the first of its kind in Peru) take place so successfully. There were 300 people in the auditorium on the opening day (which was simultaneously... Read more »

Categories: Blog Climate change adaptation Drought Flooding Green infrastructure Peru Resilience South America

Studying the effects of drought on sugar cane farmers in Swaziland

By: Alan Terry on 21st Aug 2017

I returned to Tshaneni, Swaziland this summer to investigate how the 2013-16 El Niño drought which affected most of southern Africa impacted on the food security of a group of irrigated smallholder sugar cane farmers. Themba Mthethwa (RMI, Swaziland) and... Read more »

Categories: Africa Agriculture Blog Drought University of the West of England

Water as an input in food security

By: Binganidzo Muchara on 21st Mar 2017

The use of water for the cultivation of indigenous crops is a relatively neglected area of research. In an effort to better understand how water utilisation impacts food security and livelihoods, the IWSN team at Monash South Africa, in... Read more »

Categories: Africa Agriculture Blog Drought Monash South Africa Nexus