Spectre of Day Zero: How South Africa is revising its water strategy
South Africa’s water and sanitation department is revising its decade-old National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS). Parts of the country face a water crisis, with Nelson Mandela Bay staring at a Day Zero situation.
Version 2.6 of the National Water Resource Strategy-3 was published in an official government gazette July 29, 2022. It will be open to comments from public for 90 days. The new strategy proposed strengthened integrated water quality management.
This will be done by monitoring water demand, thereby reducing the need for wastewater treatment. The strategy has laid down stringent, innovative and sustainable technological options to manage water and sanitation, in response to the National Climate Change Response Strategy.
What is National Water Resource Strategy?
The strategy is a blueprint for South Africa’s water resource management for all authorities and institutions to adapt and implement the policy framework. It is a national legal instrument for operationalising the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) throughout South Africa.
The first NWRS was published in 2004 and the second in 2013. The strategic objectives and actions of the NWRS are carried forward for resourcing and implementation in the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan.
The strategy is needed to protect and manage water resources in South Africa. It will enable equitable and sustainable access to water and sanitation services for the circular economy.
NWRS is aimed at ensuring socio-economic growth and development for the sustainable future of current and future generations.
The strategy is also the primary mechanism to manage water across all sectors in South Africa towards achieving national government’s water and sanitation development objectives.
NWRS-3 focused on effective data collection, analysis and information management to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting. It also looked at the creation of water sector institutions to strengthen the institutional and legislative framework.
The revision of the strategy looked at the previous versions as prescribed by the National Water Authority, along with the following objectives.
- Facilitate sustainable water resource management through enhanced research, innovation of technologies and solutions
- Identify and address the legislative and policy gaps
- Protection and restoration of ecological water and sanitation infrastructures
- Provide a framework for the protection, use, development, conservation, management and control of water resources for the country as a whole
- Provide a water framework to be managed at local, regional or catchment level in defined water management areas
- Provide a framework for strengthening the monitoring, evaluation and regulation of the sector
- Provide information about all aspects of water resource management by identifying water-related development opportunities and constraints
How and why did India revamp its national water policy in 2012?
The first national water policy of India was adopted in September 1987. The policy focused on governing the planning and development of water resources and their optimum utilisation in the country.
Since then, the policy has been reviewed and updated twice. Once in 2002 and later in 2012. The policy version of 2012 brought in many changes. The policy framework was shifted from national to decentralised form by integrating local, regional, state and national frameworks.
The policy's objective is to take cognisance of the existing solutions, propose a framework for creating a system of laws and institutions and for a plan of action with a unified national perspective.
Some of the major points covered in the policy are database and information systems, research and training needs, transboundary rivers, institutional arrangements, water supply and sanitation and management of flood and drought.
The policy also looks at project planning and implementation, conservation of river corridors, water bodies and infrastructure, water pricing, water pricing law, uses of water, adaptation to climate change, enhancing water available to use, demand management and water-use efficiency.