Water Stewardship in the Greater Umgeni River Catchment
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COLLABORATIVE WATER STEWARDSHIP IN THE GREATER UMGENI RIVER CATCHMENT ©MONDI THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UMNGENI RIVER CATCHMENT The greater uMngeni River catchment (which includes the adjacent upper Mooi and Mvoti catchments) is home to more than five million people or 42.5% of the total KwaZulu- Natal (KZN) population. The water in these river catchments 8% OF OUR COUNTRY’S supplies millions of people with LAND AREA PROVIDES drinking water and supports key S U - production sectors such as industry, F AN manufacturing, forestry and agriculture M (e.g. dairy, pork, poultry and agronomy). AFFERY/WW C >50% OF OUR suRFACE WATER K It has been estimated that some ©VAUGHAN KOOP ©VAUGHAN 20% of the gross national product of ©JAC the country is generated within the uMngeni River catchment. On this basis Additionally, only 8% of our country’s in the uMngeni and Mvoti Rivers. the uMngeni system is recognised by WATER SECURITY land area provides more than 50% of our Umgeni Water (the main bulk supplier many as one of the most important river surface water. To add to the challenges, of potable water in KZN) reported that systems in South Africa, and as the most CHALLENGES FACED 2015 saw KZN and a few other provinces its expenditure on chemicals for raw important river in KZN. However, the in the country experience a drought water treatment increased by 21% in one system has been largely modified and The 2015 World Economic which could critically affect farming year alone, from 2012 to 2013, equating degraded by human activities and is Forum Global Risks report activities, livelihoods and local to an additional R16 million, as a result under increasing pressure to meet the has ranked ‘water crises’ as economies. of deteriorating water quality and price growing water demands of the region. the number one global risk increases. Additionally, water demand Due to the high level of dependencies has outstripped the uMngeni River by impact. on the water from the greater uMngeni system’s ability to supply water to where catchment, it is essential that the river it is needed, and therefore innovative > 5 MILLION PEOPLE Closer to home, South Africa is one of system and its catchment are retained catchment stewardship measures are LIVE IN THE GREATER the 30 most water-stressed countries in a healthy state. However, over the last urgently needed, besides the costly UMNGENI RIVER CATCHMENT in the world, with an average of just 10 to 15 years there has been a steady solutions of more dams and transfer 495mm rainfall a year. decline in the quality of water resources schemes. RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES: WHY DO WE NEED WHAT IS WWF AND TO WORK TOGETHER ITS PARTNERS DOING? ACROSS BOUNDARIES, The WWF-Mondi Wetlands Programme through SECTORS AND VALUE its Resilient Landscape CHAINS? Approach (RLA) work is: WWF, in partnership with • Bringing people together in “safe Mondi, is engaging and spaces” through events such as field bringing together foresters, days, study tours and water security farmers, government and dialogues to share approaches, associated agricultural value best practice methods and possible solutions to water challenges. chain role players to work together at a landscape scale • Supporting innovative water to protect, restore and manage stewardship practice at the farm ecological infrastructure level. This includes providing expertise for wetland & riparian (i.e. rivers, wetlands and management, and sourcing natural habitats), improve additional expertise for irrigation water governance and be efficiency enhancements, and more effective water stewards. improved waste water management. These activities fall under ©MONDI • Connecting and engaging value the organisation’s Resilient Catchment stakeholders learning to identify a wetland chain role players so that they can Landscapes work. WWF is of the opinion that better understand their exposure water stewardship is not just the to environmental and water risk, Studies have identified that, in general, innovative solutions to manage their responsibility of the land owner and enabling them to determine what the headwater areas of a catchment can collective water risk through its is therefore seeking to work with shared actions lead to improved provide up to 50% of the water flows Resilient Landscape work. The risk of the entire agriculture and forestry environmental and economic in the river system. Considering the not having access to sufficient water of commodity value chains including sustainability of their business and predominant land uses in the headwater acceptable quality can only be addressed retailers, financial institutions and the value chain. areas and upper reaches of the uMngeni, with collective action. Water is insurance role players. Mooi and Mvoti catchments are the lifeblood that connects people • Documenting and sharing case- commercial agriculture and forestry, in a catchment and is the common Many of these value chain role players studies of the business benefits of WWF has embarked on a process of denominator that connects upstream are often common to more than one strengthening water stewardship bringing agriculture and forestry role and downstream users. sector, hence the need to promote cross practices. players together to identify and apply sectoral collaboration. For more info, please contact • Little Mooi catchment & Midlands WHERE ARE WE North sugar growing area WWF Hilton office on (033) 3431464 or Vaughan Koopman (083 - 228 7949, WORKING? www.wwf.org.za [email protected]) (follow the Freshwater Programme link) • Karkloof and Lions River catchments WWF and partners are working Staff responsible for the different areas Susan Viljoen (074 – 114 0848, in the Upper uMngeni and Upper include: [email protected]) Mvoti catchments, where commercial • Greytown and Hlimbitwa catchments farming activities occur. Specific Gareth Boothway (076 – 239 4267, KRANSKOP sub-catchments have been selected in MUDEN [email protected]) which WWF will focus their efforts (highlighted in the map below), namely Hlimbitwa the Little Mooi, Lions, Karkloof,Wagendrift Mid Mvoti ABOUT THE WWF- Greytown and Hlimbitwa sub- GREYTOWN R74 catchments as well as the other sub- Mooi MONDI PARTNERSHIP catchments that fall within Midlands R662 North sugar growing area. Craigie Burn Through a global partnership launched Upper Mvoti Hlimbitwa in 2014 between WWF & Mondi and MOUNT ALIDA Mvoti MOOIRIVIER SEVENOAKS building on the success of the WWF Khamanzi Mondi Wetlands Programme (having N3 Khamanzi worked in wetlands conservation since Klein Mooi Sterkspruit Lower Mvoti 1991), Mondi supports the development R33 Karkloof of the Resilient Landscape Approach – Klein Mooi catchments Ndiza Sterkspruit the ultimate objective of which is to have NOTTINGHAM ROAD NEW HANOVER landscapes where sustainable production R103 Karkloof Lions Albert Falls and functioning ecosystems are more Mqeku resilient to threats such as climate change Lions WARTBURG and poor land use management. Mqeku Mid uMngeni Midmar HOWICK Mondi recognises that it has a role to play in promoting effective land and water stewardship practices in the Mdloti catchments where it operates, and that Nagle Henley PIETERMARITZBURG we can achieve so much more if we work together to find solutions. Through a Inanda better understanding of how individual stakeholder risks translate into shared risk, we can better understand what Nooitgedacht903 shared action is required. N SUSTAINING ECOSYSTEMS 0 10 20 30 40 50 km THROUGH RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES Riverdale1800 WWF’s work in the • COLLABORATIVE STEWARDSHIP THE IN WATER GREATER UMG uMgeni River Catchment 1991 The year that the very successful WWF Mondi Wetlands Programme 5MIL was established. Number of people that reside within the Greater uMngeni River Catchment in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa ENI RIVER CATCH 6 M Number of sub- ENT catchments where WWF and its partners are piloting and testing the Resilient Landscape Approach 495mm 20% and strengthening South Africa’s average Total estimated gross water stewardship rainfall per annum national product of the country generated within the Greater uMngeni River ©T Catchment homas WWF P. Pe P. scha OR WWF-SA is a registered Non-Profit Organisation, number 003-226 NPO. © 1986 panda symbol and k / WWF G. ® “WWF” Registered Trademark of WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund), Z 1st Floor, Bridge House, Boundary Terraces, Mariendahl Lane, Newlands, Cape Town, PO Box 23273, A Claremont, 7735, t: +27 21 657 6600, e: [email protected], www.wwf.org.za.