Orange River Basin BAR Draft-November2005
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New Approaches to Adaptive Water Management under Uncertainty OOrraannggee RRiivveerr BBaassiinn Baseline Assessment Report Draft: November 2005 Compiled by: Nicci Diederichs, Dermot O’Regan, Caroline Sullivan, Mathew Fry, Myles Mander, Carla-Jane Haines & Margaret McKenzie NeWater_Orange River Basin_BAR_Draft-November2005. Incomplete, please do not quote Orange River Baseline Assessment Report 2 November 2005 NeWater_Orange River Basin_BAR_Draft-November2005. Incomplete, please do not quote Table of Contents STRATEGIC BASELINE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 7 SECTION A: BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS......................................................................................................... 9 1. GEOGRAPHICAL & TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................... 9 2. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 10 3. CLIMATE & HYDROLOGY....................................................................................................................................... 15 3.1 RAINFALL, TEMPERATURE & EVAPORATION RATES ............................................................................................... 15 3.2 SURFACE FLOWS & PERIODICITY ............................................................................................................................ 16 3.3 GROUND WATER & AQUIFERS ................................................................................................................................19 3.4 DROUGHT & FLOODING REGIMES ........................................................................................................................... 20 SECTION B: HUMAN DEMANDS ON WATER RESOURCES...................................................................................... 21 4. SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS .................................................................................................................................... 21 4.1 ECONOMIC STATUS ................................................................................................................................................. 21 4.2 POPULATION STATUS .............................................................................................................................................. 22 4.2.1 South Africa ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 4.2.2 Lesotho............................................................................................................................................................... 23 4.2.3 Namibia.............................................................................................................................................................. 23 4.2.4 Botswana............................................................................................................................................................ 23 5. WATER RESOURCE STATUS................................................................................................................................... 24 5.1 DEVELOPMENT OF WATER RESOURCES................................................................................................................... 25 5.1.1 Impoundments.................................................................................................................................................... 26 5.1.2 Water Transfer Schemes .................................................................................................................................... 28 5.1.2.1 Orange River Project (ORP).......................................................................................................................................28 5.1.2.2 The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) .........................................................................................................35 5.2 WATER DEMAND & AVAILABILITY......................................................................................................................... 38 5.2.1 South Africa ....................................................................................................................................................... 40 5.2.1.1 The Vaal River ...........................................................................................................................................................40 5.2.1.2 The Orange River .......................................................................................................................................................41 5.2.2 Lesotho.............................................................................................................................................................. 42 5.2.3 Namibia.............................................................................................................................................................. 43 5.2.4 Botswana............................................................................................................................................................ 44 5.3 WATER QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES .................................................................................................... 44 5.3.1 Soil Erosion and Wetland Degradation ............................................................................................................. 45 5.3.2 Industrial and Municipal Pollution.................................................................................................................... 46 5.3.3 Water Quality Problems Associated with Agricultural Activities...................................................................... 46 5.3.4 The State of the Orange River Estuary .............................................................................................................. 47 5.3.5 Blackfly .............................................................................................................................................................. 48 5.4 PROJECTED FUTURE WATER REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................................... 48 SECTION C: GOVERNANCE & WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ................................................................... 51 6. GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES.......................................................................... 51 6.1 LEGAL & POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT............................................................... 51 6.1.1 South Africa ....................................................................................................................................................... 51 6.1.1.1 The National Water Act (NWA).................................................................................................................................52 6.1.1.2 The National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS)........................................................................................................52 6.1.2 Lesotho............................................................................................................................................................... 52 6.1.3 Namibia.............................................................................................................................................................. 53 6.1.3.1 Water Act, 1968..........................................................................................................................................................53 6.1.3.2 Borehole Act, 1956.....................................................................................................................................................53 6.1.3.3 Waterworks Act (Act), 1962.......................................................................................................................................53 6.1.3.4 Water Utilities Corporation Act, 1970........................................................................................................................54 6.1.3.5 Namibian Water Resources Management Review (NWRMR)...................................................................................54 6.1.4 Botswana............................................................................................................................................................ 54 Orange River Baseline Assessment Report 3 November 2005 NeWater_Orange River Basin_BAR_Draft-November2005. Incomplete, please do not quote 6.2 WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCIES......................................................................................................... 54 6.2.1 South Africa ....................................................................................................................................................... 54 6.2.2 Lesotho............................................................................................................................................................... 56 6.2.3 Namibia.............................................................................................................................................................. 56 6.2.4 Botswana...........................................................................................................................................................