Water Stewardship Experiences in the Western Cape

Water stewardship experiences in the Western Cape © Anette Kristensen © Ceres V © Ceres Good water stewardship a lley, WWF lley, guidelines for Western Cape fruit farmers This booklet is addressed to Western Cape agricultural producers, who rely on irrigation and are interested in better understanding water risks and how to reduce these through good water use, protection and stewardship. It shares the experiences of nine stone-fruit farmers in the Breede catchment, who took part in a water stewardship initiative in 2013 and 2014. It is envisioned that their journey will also help other farmers in the region identify ways to improve the use and management of water resources that are critical to sustaining their businessess. This water stewardship initiative and this booklet are produced by WWF South Africa, the WWF United Kingdom, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), Marks & Spencer and Woolworths. Introduction The Mediterranean climate of the Western Cape translates into hot and dry summers and wet, cold winters. This sets the region apart from the rest of South Africa, which typically receives summer rainfall. This unique rainfall pattern in reality that water is both a necessity for South Africa makes the Western Cape the business, but that many risks to water can key area for particular agricultural crops also hamper business. that are often linked to the export market. Water risks are recognized at many These include stone and pome fruit different levels, including the retailers (apples, pears), citrus as well as grapes. that accumulate risks through the supply Other crops, such as olives, wheat and chain. The retailer Marks & Spencer vegetables are also common to particular applied the WWF-developed Water Risk sub-regions. What the Western Cape does Filter2 to identify any water risk hotspots have in common with the rest of South in its own supply line. The Western Cape Africa is a highly variable climate, in came up as a key risk hotspot for stone which droughts and floods are a common fruit. As a result M&S partnered with risk to consider. This is exacerbated by the Alliance for Water Stewardship, the climate change predictions, which foresee WWF and Woolworths, to work on water the Western Cape to face ever more stewardship opportunities with farmers extreme weather events and, overall, less in the Breede catchment in order to rainfall. Changing land uses and their mitigate this risk. The year 2013 marked various impacts on water resources are the involvement of nine volunteer farmers, resulting in increasing water quality looking at identifying on-farm water risks. These physical risks come hand-in- stewardship options. The project is being hand with the South African government extended and in 2015 we will look at water decision to prioritise water allocation for stewardship opportunities in the upper urban and industrial uses in the future1 reaches of the Breede. – leaving agriculture with the sobering

1Pott, A., Hallowes, J., Backeberg, G. and Döckel, M. 2009. The challenges of water conservation and water demand management for irrigated agriculture in South Africa. Water International 34(3): 313-324.

2www.waterriskfilter.panda.org Water risk In order to address water risks, it is important to first understand them. We found 4 key water risk areas that were relevant to farmers in the Breede: • Direct physical risks, relating to • Reputational and market risk, – availability of water (drought, flood), which is linked to the real and perceived – reliability (storage & supply ecological and social impacts of water infrastructure), uses and discharges. – and water quality (entering and Also think about the following: exiting your farm) Which of these risks are an issue on your • Social risks, typically referring farm and which of these risks affect to businesses infringing on water you as well as your neighbouring access to members of society – but in farmers in the area? Understanding that South Africa we found the opposite case will help you identify which risks you can to also apply, namely vandalism and address at the farm level, and which theft of irrigation equipment, leading risks go beyond your farm fence and to financial loss, water losses, risk to require a group effort to reduce. the crops and investment in security surveillance

• Regulatory risks caused by changing water allocations and water-related licences, and new water institutions. © K Sc h ac hts c hneider What is water stewardship? Water risks are becoming ever-more present realities for agriculture, and it increasingly makes good business sense to ensure the right quantity and quality of water available at the right time and place to meet the needs of ecosystems, people and businesses.

Water stewardship for business is a progression of increased improvement of water use and a reduction in the water-related impacts of internal and value chain operations. More importantly, it is a commitment to the sustainable management of shared water resources in the public interest through collective action with other businesses, governments, NGO’s and communities. WWF definition

Becoming a good water steward is a long- In South Africa the National Water term journey. It starts with small steps, Act envisages public and stakeholder becoming aware of water issues and then (including business) participation in water to aim at reducing your identified risks, management. This may happen through one step at a time. A good place to start institutions such as the Catchment is to improve your own farm’s water- Management Agencies and Water User use practices and then exploring water Associations, or through less formal water stewardship steps that would reduce water stewardship groups and forums. Water is risks that your local area faces. everyone’s business and there is always work to be done, as individual water users There are many reasons to become a or collectively. good water steward – be it that you are motivated by an imminent or current water crisis, you anticipate increasing water risk with time, you wish to develop an ethical market advantage or are motivated by a sense of responsibility.

4. 5. Water, unlike land, 3. Become Contribute is a constant traveller. Implement involved to water 2. best water in water management Its stewardship requires Understand practice steps stewardship in the you to look at where your farm’s at farm-level beyond the catchment water comes from, 1. water uses farm fence and risks how you use it and Become water where it goes to. aware Diagram 1: WWF’s 5 Water Stewardship steps interpreted into a farm context. AWS standard and supply chain It is all good and well to be interested in water risks and stewardship opportunities, but where to start? There are several options and tools. A key one is the AWS water stewardship The WWF, AWS, M&S and Woolworths standard, developed by the Alliance for pooled together to test the structure Water Stewardship. This standard is and content of the AWS standard for international, new and unique, in that it the agricultural sector in the Breede focuses on water stewardship, rather than catchment. Nine farms volunteered for health and safety or ethics. As such, it this process and went through the guided provides a clear roadmap about questions process of identifying their key water risks you can ask about your water use and and water stewardship opportunities, your water risks. The AWS standard resulting in a long-term water stewardship helps any site, whether it is a farm or a plan and an identification of water factory to improve how water is managed stewardship opportunities in the greater on-site (steps 1-3 as per WWF’s Water Ceres area. Stewardship steps) and sets the stage for This process has shown us that the collective action (step 4). Further efforts 6-step standard helps you learn about are then needed to ensure water risks are water issues, but sometimes it is good to managed by working with other catchment have help interpreting the results and stakeholders (step 5). knowing how to turn them into useful The standard is available for anyone to water stewardship options. WWF is now use and a formal verification process is developing a web-based tool, to give under development. As the AWS standard AWS information a more South African becomes fully operational, some brands and agricultural flavour. It is envisioned and farmers, who have decided that water that this will help farmers on their water stewardship is of value to them, may stewardship journey. choose to certify their supply chains or There has been widespread concern that their own site(s) to this standard. the creation of ‘yet another’ standard is STEP 6: COMMUNICATE going to add to the workload of farmers, & DISCLOSE STEP 1: COMMIT who are already facing multiple standard certifications annually. AWS is looking to help streamline and integrate the different standards with the aim of increasing STEP 2: collaboration and enabling them to GATHER & STEP 5: UNDERSTAND become more holistic in their purpose. EVALUATE Figure 1: AWS diagram guiding STEP 4: STEP 3: PLAN the continual improvement through IMPLEMENT a 6-step process Summary of AWS steps The AWS standard can be completed at varying levels of detail and this will be recognised through certification to either adhere to core criteria, or, additionally, also to advanced criteria.

Figure 2: Summary The AWS Standard (version 1.0): diagram of core STEP 6: COMMUNICATE & DISCLOSE Core criteria level criteria for • Disclose internal governance • Disclose water stewardship performance STEP 1: COMMIT each of the 6 steps • Disclose efforts to address shared water challenges • Leadership commitment • Drive transparency in compliance • Water stewardship policy • Increase water awareness

STEP 5: EVALUATE STEP 2: GATHER & • Evaluate performance, UNDERSTAND risks & benefits • Define scope • Evaluate incidents • ID stakeholders • Consult stakeholders • Catchment water data • Update stewardship and • Site water data incident response plans • Indirect water use • Shared water challenges • Understand and prioritize STEP 4: IMPLEMENT water risks & opportunities • Comply with laws & rights • Maintain/improve water balance STEP 3: PLAN • Maintain/improve water quality • Legal compliance system • Maintain/improve status of IWRAs • Water stewardship plan • Participate in catchment governance • Incident response plan • Maintain/improve indirect water use • Notify authorities of plans • Provide on-site WASH • Raise concerns about shared water infrastructure

The AWS Standard (version 1.0): Figure 3: STEP 6: COMMUNICATE & DISCLOSE Advanced criteria Summary diagram • Disclose water risks to owners (in STEP 1: COMMIT alignment with recognized disclosure of advanced level • Further AWS initiatives frameworks) • Commit to other initiatives • Implement a program for water education criteria for each of • Secure a water stewardship commitment from • Discuss site-level water stewardship in the organization’s senior-most body the 6 steps the organization’s annual report • Prioritize communities’ rights to water STEP 5: EVALUATE STEP 2: GATHER & • Conduct executive or governance body- UNDERSTAND level review of water • Support joint data collection stewardship efforts • Gather additional water data • Conduct a formal • Review a formal study on stakeholder evaluation future water scenarios • Conduct a detailed, indirect STEP 4: IMPLEMENT water use evaluation • Understand groundwater / • Achieve best practice results e-flows & site’s contribution on site water balance • Complete a voluntary SIA - Achieve best practice results on site water quality • Achieve best practice results on IWRA restoration STEP 3: PLAN • Achieve best practice results in water governance • Gain stakeholder consensus on the • Advance industrial water-related benchmarking site’s water stewardship targets • Re-allocate saved water for social or environmental needs • Develop a formal plan for climate • Engage in collective action for shared water challenges change adaptation • Drive reduced indirect water use • Complete implementation of water-related initiatives • Provide access to WASH off-site case studies

Figure 4: Map of the area

Water quantity - getting the the usual manual pit-and shovel tests. The implementation of two probes has technology right already provided very valuable insights into irrigation optimisation, and the Three of the nine test farms came to expansion of soil moisture probes into the the conclusion that the right technology remainder of the farm forms part of a five is absolutely key in achieving efficient year plan. irrigation processes. However, such a decision is costly and it requires careful weighing up of options and prioritisations. For both Esperanto and Welgemeen farms Water quality – finding the it was priority to move from a time-based sweet spot irrigation process to a flow-based one, so as to have greater control over the actual As part of understanding their on- amount of water that is applied during farm water use and risk, Romansrivier irrigation schedules. Waboomskraal measured the water quality of both found it particularly valuable to look incoming and draining water at their into soil moisture probes, to augment lowest outgoing drainage point on the case studies © S D farm boundary. They found that the zi

nutrient levels of their outflowing water k iti were well within South African water quality guidelines for drainage and irrigation water and that it was thus safe for downstream farmers to use. However, they also saw that there was some increase of nutrient levels between their own incoming and outgoing water. They concluded that their amount of fertiliser application had room to improve, as part of their applied fertiliser was literally ‘running down the hill’- posing a financial waste as well as a Dealing with social water risk – contribution to eutrophication risks further downstream. Making this decision careful layout of irrigation system included a careful evaluation to avoid makes you less of a sitting duck putting fruit production at risk through too little fertiliser application. From the Denou farm is situated on the edge 2013 to the 2014 growing season, the farm of Prince Alfred Hamlet – and that reduced their fertiliser application by translates into being an easy target for 25kg/ha. It is a brave step that requires a opportunists and frustrated members of careful look at more water quality tests, society. All too often the farm’s irrigation fruit production and the bank account to processes have been hampered by acts see if Romansrivier has now optimised its of vandalism and theft – affecting fertiliser application rate. sprinklers, taps, electricity lines and

© S D the content of pump houses. This year Denou has embarked on a process to zi k iti redesign part of its irrigation pipelines and moving all taps to safe points on the farm. It means that all taps can be controlled from one key area on the farm that is situated far away from the town’s edge. As part of the process Denou also replaced all leftover asbestos irrigation pipes. Not only does this action improve the health and safety of operations, but it also reduces the leakage rates, commonly associated with outdated asbestos pipes. case studies Reputational risk – the antidote 4. Use new technology, such as soil moisture probes (IT measure) that is to be proactive send continuous streams of data via radio to a centralised system, where Farm Lushof has reached South African managers can interpret the data on media in 2014 – not because of its their computers and cell phones and reputational risk, but because it’s very react quickly, thus ensuring irrigation proactive way of promoting its reputational efficiency is optimised. excellence. As part of the WWF and Woolworths media trip for the 2014 World 5. Maintenance is irreplaceable – a Water Day, farm Lushof was interviewed total of six people are responsible for by the South African agricultural magazine regular monitoring and maintenance of Landbou Weekblad regarding its hi-tech the system. irrigation system. 6. Set measurable goals – have a flow Lushof’s 7 point plan was documented meter to help document your water use as follows – and know your dam content.

1. Plant the right cultivars for your area. 7. Test your fruit – fruit with a bit of water stress have a higher sugar content than 2. Adapt your irrigation technology to your overwatered fruit. Hence you need to area – Lushof has found small radius balance your irrigation carefully to get microjet sprinklers to suit their farm the ideal sugar content out of all fruit, environment best, maximising plant be they grown on sand or loam, and be production while minimising water use. they drip or microjet irrigated.

3. Know your soil type – and irrigate As a result of this article, Lushof has accordingly, using flow meters to received considerable attention and measure application and a pressure several requests from other farmers to sensitive system, to ensure the right tour and learn from Lushof. This process amount of water is applied. has significantly minimised Lushof’s reputational risk, but staying at the © S D forefront remains key. Lushof already has zi k iti future plans to reduce the proximity of their orchards to the local Skaap River, which traverses the farm. This move will eliminate orchard-parts that are fungus- prone due to their waterlogged state. Hence it will not create significant production losses, while it will increase the buffer zone of the Skaap River, where it runs through farm Lushof. At the moment the Skaap River, as a tributary to the Breede, has a case studies low water quality and natural habitat loss It is at the discretion of the South African from plantings in its flood lines. Allowing government to reallocate water among some of the natural buffer zone to return sectors, depending on perceived needs and to this tributary is a worthy first step at financial outputs. The power to do this rehabilitating a river that currently has has at times created strong debates among little more function than a drain. the Department of Water Affairs and the agricultural sector. Mr Abrahams, both farmer and Breede –Gouritz Catchment Regulatory risk – keeping a Management Agency board member has the rare position of having looked at the beady eye… water stewardship process as both a farmer and a representative of the water sector. He The new South African Water Act of 1998 finds that the water stewardship process, as has fundamentally changed the ownership laid out by the AWS standard, is based on of water in South Africa. Water that was scientific evidence, good recordkeeping and individually owned in the past is now a responsible practices. Hence it is a tool to national asset under the guardianship of create well-documented cases for farms that the government, i.e. the Department of are also easy for regulators to assess. He sees Water Affairs and Sanitation. All water water stewardship and specifically the AWS users need to register their water use standard as a potentially neutral avenue to and receive the right to use a particular take, if there is concern about regulatory risk. allocation of water. This allocated amount is verified and validated in catchments like the Breede, Berg and Olifantsdoorn. Water use above the allocated amount can Catchment initiatives in the be identified and rectified. Anybody not upper Breede complying to regulations can of course regard a legal reallocation as a regulatory As the water stewardship project progressed water risk, as it will impact on production in the Breede, we invited stakeholders in rates and business. the area to look at water risk and water stewardship options beyond the farm- boundary. A productive discussion led to The new South African Water three identified water risks: Act of 1998 has fundamentally 1. Water quality around rapidly growing urban areas (physical water changed the ownership of water quality risk) in South Africa. Water that was 2. Lacking access to shared information individually owned in the past is around water stewardship (hindering now a national asset under the responsible water use) guardianship of the government 3. Alien invasive plants and reduced case studies

available water in the headwaters Alien Plants - thirsty invaders of the South (physical water quantity risk) African landscape. In South Africa alien invasive plants (IAPs) have The identification of these risks was taken over significant areas of land, choking out translated into three water stewardship other plants and biodiversity, and using much more opportunities, that will involve the water than indigenous vegetation. IAPs are esti- mated to consume about 3.3 billion cubic meters catchment management agency and that of water per year. This is equivalent to nearly 7% will invite other farmers, the municipality of our river flow. Government programmes such and urban residents to participate. as Working for Water, and NGO programmes such as WWF-SA’s Water Balance aim to eradicate Overall, agricultural production – and IAPs in the landscape, especially in our water source areas. the need for labour- has increased sharply in the Ceres valley, once the rebuilt Koekedouw dam provided a reliable water The farm Romansrivier is held to an source in 1998. Increased agricultural agreement with CapeNature to invest production also translates into an R100 000 annually in alien plant clearing increased need for labour. Prince Alfred activities in the hill slopes of their farm – Hamlet, a little town just north of Ceres, thus ensuring good runoff from this upper has between 4000 and 5000 inhabitants. Breede catchment. In their experience, The town, like many others in the region, this is a never-ending task if you operate houses the seasonal influx of people that at a farm-scale, as seeds blow across from are attracted to work opportunities during neighbouring areas. Proper alien clearing, harvest time. Many people remain to stay and the resulting assurance of good water in the valley on a permanent basis. The supply to downstream reaches, is a group rapid urban growth has brought to the initiative that will require a coordinated fore challenges linked to sanitation and clearing approach. Initial funding from high-density livestock keeping in areas Woolworths and M&S will see to the that are not safely designated for such initial engagement and planning phase of purposes. In Prince Alfred Hamlet, many a clearing initiative in this area. of the sanitation problems and livestock The final step is to develop and make holdings are in close proximity to the available the web-based tool that will local Wabooms River, a tributary to the hopefully provide easy access to water Breede. Over the next 12 months the aim stewardship information that is relevant is to involve all relevant stakeholders in an to agriculture in South Africa. The initiative that will help to educate residents tool will start off being focussed on and improve sanitation arrangements, so Western Cape information, but the plan as to reduce pollution, obtaining municipal is to further make it suitable for farmers support where possible and letting the throughout South Africa. CMA initiate their plan to closely monitor water quality near Prince Alfred Hamlet. Water stewardship beyond stone fruit in the Breede The concept of water stewardship is international – and as such the AWS standard was also designed to be used worldwide by many different sectors, such as textiles and mining, for example. As the AWS standard matures and expands, one needs to ask what water stewardship might look like for South Africa, beyond the scope of agriculture in the Breede. Below are some thoughts: Agriculture beyond the to allow farmers to get along with growing food – in a manner that is responsible Breede catchment to consumers, the environment and coming generations. Water stewardship is easily applicable to all agricultural sectors, including Forestry irrigated and rain-fed crop production, as well as livestock farming. That is mainly Much of the forestry sector in South Africa attributed to the high dependence of subscribes to the Forest Stewardship agriculture on water and the potential to Council™ (FSC™). For over 15 years the pollute water resources. A tool like the FSC has advocated a voluntary process to AWS standard provides a well-laid out improve water use – namely by taking out avenue for members of the agricultural trees alongside water bodies and leaving sector to engage with requirements by a 30 metre buffer zone around every the water sector. However, most farmers wetland and river. This practice is well- already feel pressed by multiple national engrained into this sector, but essentially and international health and safety or it is only one aspect to consider within the ethics standards, and some sectors already much-broader water stewardship process. have sustainability initiatives, such as An introduction of water stewardship into fruit and wine (Biodiversity and Wine the forestry sector would encourage the Initiative, BWI, with over 180 members) and the sugar industry (Sustainable Sugarcane Farm Management System, SusFarMS, with 47 000 subscribers). For allow farmers to get along with the sake of water stewardship to become well integrated into the agricultural growing food – in a manner that sector, we find it particularly important is responsible to consumers, to try and streamline these standards and initiatives. We hope it will take the the environment and coming needless repetition out of certification, generations. sector to look at a much wider spectrum of negative publicity linked to poorly of water issues – in more technical detail. managed acid mine drainage. However, Foresters would need to demonstrate within each sector there is potential for that their impacts beyond the plantation better production, minimising impacts, boundary are well managed, especially internalising environmental costs and escaping alien plants which can have a working with neighbours to ensure better devastating impact on whole catchments. water security for all. What if practices include recycling of old mine dumps,

instead of digging new holes in the earth? Mining What if a mine was committed to purify its effluent (to national guideline levels) for a Mining is generally seen as a seriously timespan of multiple decades, extending negative impact on the local landscape way beyond the active lifetime of the and catchment, and it’s difficult to mine? Would such levels of responsibility envisage a mine holding a water warrant an acknowledgement of stewardship certificate. Gold and coal water stewardship? mines in South Africa have received a lot © K Sc h ac hts c hneider

Koekedouw Dam, Ceres Additional information Where you get additional information:

Water risk: For more information about waterriskfilter.panda.org water stewardship efforts in the Breede: http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/ Water stewardship: blog/stories/marks-and-spencer-water- AWS stewardship www.allianceforwaterstewardship.org

WWF Direct contact: panda.org/ws Klaudia Schachtschneider, Water Stewardship Programme, WWF-SA: Water and agriculture: [email protected] www.wrc.org.za Claire Bramley, Water Stewardship Programme, WWF-UK: [email protected] WWF South Africa • Water ste w ardship experiences in the Western C Western in the experiences ardship FACEBOOK Join us on facebook.com/WWFSA WEBSITE For further information visit wwf.org.za ape

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