&/)"/$*/(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.