Gwinyai Taruvinga
Over the last few months, the City of Johannesburg has faced challenges concerning water delivery to its citizens.
While this can be looked at as an isolated issue, water delivery has been a major sticking point not only for Johannesburg but for the country and the African continent at large.
It has been widely stated that South Africa is water-scarce, which has strained water delivery in various ways. According to the Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS), South Africa receives an average rainfall of 500mm compared to the global average of 860mm. With the advent of climate change, rainfall patterns have been significantly affected, further compounding the challenges.
The African continent has generally seen its water resources depleted due to climate-induced crises, which has had a rippling effect on livelihoods, as the majority of citizens rely on agriculture.
These water crises across the African continent indicate that an integrated approach is essential for water governance. Until recently, water governance was viewed as being dominated solely by scientists and engineers; however, over time, the space opened up to other actors, such as policy analysts and technocrats.
One pivotal shift was the Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development, where water experts met on 31 January 1992 to chart a way forward regarding the challenges associated with this resource. The International Conference on Water and the Environment (ICWE) would be a crucial step in tackling water challenges, and it would become increasingly relevant for the African continent.
An important aspect of the ICWE was the introduction of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). IWRM rests on three principles: social equity, economic efficiency, and ecological sustainability. These principles are intrinsically linked to The Dublin Principles that view water as a finite and vulnerable resource; a participatory approach must be used when governing water, women play a central role when it relates to water governance, and water should be viewed as an economic good.
The Dublin Principles and IWRM are essential for South Africa and the entire African continent. In South Africa, for example, the country inherited a water governance system based on an apartheid framework that marginalised its citizens. The water system favoured the white minority, especially the farmers. In Zimbabwe, a similar system was evident during the colonial era, where water resources were engineered to support the British settlers at the expense of the African population. Like South Africa in 1994, the Zimbabwean government inherited an inequitable water system in 1980.
Due to the legacies of colonial systems based on marginalisation, IWRM presents an opportunity to address these inequalities. The practice of an integrated approach can be seen as one of the most effective methods for water management on the African continent. While IWRM has its limitations, it offers the best chance for improving water management.
One of the key elements of IWRM is decentralised water governance. For countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe, where past inequalities continue to affect water governance, this presents an opportunity to improve water governance systems. Decentralisation is essential because many analysts view it as an inclusive system that allows previously disadvantaged groups to participate in developing solutions for water management.
The challenges of water on the African continent are multifaceted, stemming from weak policy implementation, enduring inequalities from apartheid and colonialism, insufficient government funding due to fiscal constraints, and a lack of recognition of the various stakeholders involved. Therefore, it is essential to utilise IWRM, as it considers the diverse actors in the water sector.
In 1998, Zimbabwe and South Africa both introduced new water acts based on the notion of IWRM. When analysing the countries’ water policies, it is evident that both have opted for a decentralised system as suggested by IWRM. Both countries have catchment areas that divide them into regions where communities are at the forefront of addressing some of the issues related to water. Taking into consideration the historical contexts of both countries, the new water governance measures are an essential step toward addressing water challenges in these nations. Beyond South Africa and Zimbabwe, countries like Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya have also chosen to adopt the same system.
Despite these progressive water reforms in South Africa and Zimbabwe, challenges remain. In Johannesburg, citizens have been subjected to prolonged water cuts. More famously, the potential ‘Day Zero’ scenario in Cape Town in 2018 highlighted water challenges, and other areas such as Giyani continue to struggle. In Zimbabwe’s case, the 2008 cholera outbreak illustrated the ramifications of inadequate funding for water infrastructure.
In South Africa and Zimbabwe, water is essential both economically and socially. In South Africa, industries such as mining and agriculture play a critical role in the economy, which is equally true for Zimbabwe, where agriculture and mining are vital to its economic framework. There are evident competing interests in governing water resources in both countries, further strengthening the case for an integrated approach to governance.
There are also examples of cross-border efforts to address water challenges that can be viewed as part of IWRM. On 18 March 2024, it was announced that South Africa and Zimbabwe entered a landmark water-sharing arrangement. This arrangement will transfer treated water from Beitbridge Water Treatment Works in Zimbabwe to Musina, Limpopo. Such an initiative, if successful, presents an opportunity to tackle water challenges.
Water challenges in Johannesburg and South Africa are not a new phenomenon, as the continent faces similar issues. While not perfect, IWRM serves as a tool to address these multifaceted challenges. Therefore, it is important to adopt an integrated approach that involves the various actors affected.
Gwinyai Taruvinga is a policy analyst and post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Wits Global Change Institute.