LESSONS from the Umngenl Rlver CATCH
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&/)"/$*/(8"5&34&$63*5:5)306() 3&4503"5*0/"/%."*/5&/"/$&0'&$0-0(*$"- */'3"4536$563&-&440/4'30.5)&6./(&/* 3*7&3$"5$).&/5 4065)"'3*$" 77 ENHANCING WATER SECURITY THROUGH RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: LESSONS FROM THE UMNGENI RIVER CATCHMENT, SOUTH AFRICA Report to the Water Research Commission by GPW Jewitt, C Sutherland, M Browne, S Stuart-Hill, S Risko, P Martel, J Taylor and M Varghese WRC Report No. TT 815/20 ISBN 978-0-6392-0132-0 April 2020 ENHANCING WATER SECURITY THROUGH RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: LESSONS FROM THE UMNGENI RIVER CATCHMENT, SOUTH AFRICA Obtainable from Water Research Commission Private Bag X03 GEZINA, 0031 [email protected] or download from www.wrc.org.za DISCLAIMER This report has been reviewed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the WRC nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. © Water Research Commission ii ENHANCING WATER SECURITY THROUGH RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: LESSONS FROM THE UMNGENI RIVER CATCHMENT, SOUTH AFRICA The uMngeni River Basin supports over six (WWTW) and diffuse sources of pollution, which million people, providing water to South Africa’s causes eutrophication, very high microbial third largest regional economy, contributing occurrence, health impacts on both people and approximately 11%, or about R460 billion, to ecosystems, reduction in water clarity and national GDP (Hay, 2017). It is therefore a unpleasant odours. This poses a serious threat significant catchment that contributes to human to a wide range of water users in the catchment, wellbeing locally, regionally and nationally. It with a particular impact on recreation and supports South Africa’s third largest city, tourism. Indications are that the Duzi canoe Durban, as well as an important secondary city marathon numbers are declining, which impacts and political and administrative centre, on revenue and employment in the catchment. Pietermaritzburg. It covers an area of 4 440 km2 Diffuse pollution varies across the catchment and has an average annual rainfall of a little and, unlike point source pollution, it is a under 1000 mm. The catchment is dominated function of the topography, land use, land by agricultural activities in the upper reaches, management, soil type, hydrology and climate. including dairy, beef, poultry, timber and sugar The anticipated urban and industrial cane. The middle and lower reaches are development in the uMngeni system will dominated by urban development, industry and increase the demand for water, which exceeds mixed rural-urban land uses. The area under the presently available water resources. commercial plantation forestry in the basin ranges from 650 000 to 740 000 ha of However, even with these challenges the eucalyptus/pine trees. These plantations are uMngeni River and its catchment continues to estimated to reduce streamflow by provide the resources required to sustain the approximately 64 million cubic metres per economy of this growing region, supporting annum. Alien invasive vegetation in the human wellbeing, economic development, catchment is estimated to consume between 12 social needs and ecosystem services. The critical and 15 million cubic metres of water over and question facing the catchment is how to sustain above what would have been consumed by and enhance water security in the catchment. natural vegetation. Despite a series of dams The role of ecological infrastructure (EI) in (Nagle, Midmar, Albert Falls, and Inanda) within enhancing and sustaining water and sanitation the uMngeni River catchment, it remains a delivery in the catchment has been recognised. water stressed catchment, which is only just meeting the water demands of its inhabitants. The overall aim of this project was to identify The Spring Grove Dam on the Mooi River has where and how investment into the protection recently been completed and the Smithfield and/or restoration of EI can be made to Dam on the uMkhomazi River is in the planning produce long-term and sustainable returns in phases. These dams are planned to meet water terms of water security assurance. In short, the demands now and into the future. However, the project aimed to guide catchment managers catchment is considered to be a closed when deciding “what to do” in the catchment to catchment, unless more water can be secure a more sustainable water supply, and transferred in to it from other adjacent where it should be done. This seemingly simple catchments. The water resources in the question encompasses complexity in time and catchment are seriously threatened by point space, and reveals the connections between iii ENHANCING WATER SECURITY THROUGH RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: LESSONS FROM THE UMNGENI RIVER CATCHMENT, SOUTH AFRICA different biophysical, social, political, economic In contrast to many projects which have and governance systems in the catchment. The identified this complexity, here, we move project partnered with other research initiatives beyond identification and actively explore and in the catchment, including projects funded explain these interactions and provide lessons through the Green Fund of the DEA/DBSA. The based on these experiences and analyses. uMngeni River catchment has become a focus The study inherently addresses aspects of water area and pilot study site through various quantity and quality, economics, societal initiatives, with research and social learning interactions, and the governance of natural being consolidated through the uMngeni resources. It highlights that ensuring the Ecological Infrastructure Partnership (UEIP). availability and sustainable management of Through this initiative, more than 24 water resources requires both transdisciplinary government departments, academic and detailed biophysical, economic, social and institutions, private companies and NGOs have development studies of both formal and signed a MoU which documents their informal socio-ecological systems, and that commitment to investing in restoring, investing in human resources capacity to maintaining and managing EI for water security. support these studies, is critical. To this end, an In an attempt to ensure uptake of the research Opportunities and Risks Framework for products, the project was aligned with UEIP Investing in Ecological Infrastructure (ORF4Ei – restoration initiatives, including Mpophomeni Chapter 2) was created to guide future (upper catchment), the Baynespruit in development plans. We have produced 10 Pietermaritzburg (middle catchment), the Lessons for investment in EI that are critical in Palmiet River catchment and Mzinyathi in the uMngeni River catchment, which have eThekwini Municipality (lower catchment). emerged from this five-year research project. These lessons are also applicable wherever Over the past five years, the project has investments in EI are being considered. explored the conceptual and philosophical basis Ultimately, we identify opportunities in the for investing in EI. This report demonstrates uMngeni River catchment where investment how EI can be utilised to secure water for the into the maintenance and/or rehabilitation of EI benefit of society through research focused on can produce long-term and sustainable returns selected case studies in the uMngeni River for the delivery of water-related ecosystem catchment. This addresses a critical gap in services, showing these spatially in an moving from the many vague and broad annotated map form. conceptual ideas of how EI could form part of a catchment management strategy, to Project Objectives demonstrating how this can be an integral 1. To investigate and report on the status of component of future water resource catchment land-use and water resource management plans in cities and urban areas, quality in the selected sub-catchment(s). and ultimately, in a catchment management strategy, should a Catchment Management Through numerous project Deliverables and Agency be established. student-led papers and dissertations, we have thoroughly investigated the status of catchment Through the study, we highlight that there is an land-use and water resource quality through the interdependent and co-constitutive relationship various case studies and also synthesised these between EI, society, and water security. In findings at a catchment scale. Details of these particular, by working in spaces where EI papers and projects are provided in Chapter 6 investment is taking place, it is evident that and the Appendices to the report. socio-economic, environmental and political relations in the catchment play a critical role in making EI investment possible, or not possible. iv ENHANCING WATER SECURITY THROUGH RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: LESSONS FROM THE UMNGENI RIVER CATCHMENT, SOUTH AFRICA 2. Cost the impacts of the degradation of greater social equity and justice and the ecosystem infrastructure on water users reduction of environmental risks, thereby from different stakeholder experiences addressing the goals of the green using an evidence-based approach. economy. We explored the economics of investing in EI We have synthesized the findings from the through four case study assessments. We various project Deliverables and used these to considered the costs and benefits of investing in map the connections between them (See