“Department of Water and Environmental Affairs water services chief director Helgard Muller has conceded that there are serious issues surrounding the efficient use of water and, if these are not tackled, “we are heading for a crisis in certain systems”.”
““However, I would not call it a national crisis,” said Muller during the United Association of South Africa (UASA) Water Security seminar, held last month in Johannesburg.”
“University of Pretoria department of geography, geoinformatics and meteorology head Professor Hannes Rautenbach said that climate change in South Africa was a reality in terms of temperature, but not so much in terms of the amount of rainfall a year.”
““However, it seems that the seasons are shifting with the result that summer rain- fall seasons may in future be shorter and winter rainfall seasons longer. This means that excellent planning is needed to prevent possible water shortages during dry spells in future,” Rautenbach said.”
“UASA CEO Koos Bezuidenhout concurred that South Africa was facing a serious water situation.”
““With this conference, we aim to signal the start of a loyal resistance programme and not [one of] confrontation, but of earnest cooperation with the authorities to solve the country’s water problems,” said Bezuidenhout.”
Read more: Engineering News
“There is growing recognition that water is the “key medium through which climate change impacts will be felt.” Climate impacts on water will directly affect agriculture. And, of course, agricultural practices can both impact and mitigate climate change. Yet, all three–climate, agriculture and water–are facing severe crises. It is the dramatic convergence of these crises that compel us to shift away from the dominant industrial agriculture model toward more sustainable and just alternatives.
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