Proposed First Edition National Water Resource Strategy August 2002

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CHAPTER 4 - COMPLEMENTARY STRATEGIES

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4.1INTRODUCTION

This Chapter gives brief descriptions of strategies and activities, most of which are not specifically required by the Act, but which are nonetheless essential for its long-term, sustained implementation. They are:-

  • Building capacity and expertise among practitioners in the water sector: a programme for the entire water sector in which the Department is playing a leading role with its partners in the sector.
  • Educating and creating awareness among stakeholders: by means of departmental programmes of public consultation, communications and education.
  • Water research: commissioned and co-ordinated by the Water Research Commission, in close liaison with the Department and other role players in the water sector.

4.2CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE WATER SECTOR

In considering what must be done to implement the Act, it is also necessary to consider who will do it. The strategies developed for the Act will not be effective if there are too few competent people to implement them.

It has been noted previously that the implementation of the Act will take place progressively over time. This is an implicit acknowledgement that South Africa's financial and human resources are, at present, insufficient to implement all of the Act's provisions all at once, everywhere in the country. It is however also an imperative to ensure that steps are taken to build sufficient capacity in the water sector to implement, and sustain the implementation of water policy and legislation. Water resources management is a multi-facetted and relatively specialised activity which, as a result of the changes introduced by the NWA, now requires competencies in a wider range of disciplines than was previously the case. The training, re-training, and development of the potential of people who currently work, or who will work in the future, at all levels of all organisations and agencies in the water sector, not only in the Department, is recognised in the National Water Policy as being a critical determinant for the achievement of wise and efficient water resources management in South Africa.

An important development in this respect is the recent establishment of a Water Sector Capacity Building Strategy Task Team, in which the Department is playing a prominent role, to develop a capacity building strategy for the water sector. The strategy has the objective of ensuring that, in some reasonable and achievable time - 15 years has been suggested - all role players in the South African water sector will have worked together to ensure that the necessary capacity exists in all relevant institutions to fully implement water-related policy and law.

The capacity building strategy Task Team's work will centre on the identified competency needs of the sector. It will focus on people: on the development of their skills, knowledge and attitudes required to support the development of the infrastructure, institutions, knowledge and information management, and financial management necessary to undertake water resources management. There have already been encouraging developments in this respect, with new, specialised courses being offered at post-graduate level at a number of tertiary institutions. Development of high-level skills of post-graduate students is also supported by the Water Research Commission (see below).In addition, the National Water Services Training Institute at the University of the North provides a variety of short courses at a range of levels.

Furthermore, in line with the general requirement for national social and economic transformation, all capacity building initiatives must address representivity in terms of race, gender and disability in all water sector institutions. Since 1994 there has been particular emphasis in the Department's bursary policy, by which students are assisted with their studies in selected fields, on achieving improved representivity in the technical disciplines.

An important component of the strategy will be the promotion of networking among education and training service providers and users. Steps have already been taken in this direction, in partnership with the United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organisation and the World Meteorological Organisation.

The water sector strategy will be consistent with capacity building initiatives in other sectors of society via the legislative, institutional and financial framework provided by the South African Qualifications Authority Act, 1995, the Skills Development Act, 1998, and the Skills Development Levies Act, 1999.

4.3EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CREATION

4.3.1Public Consultation

One of the NWA's main objectives is to progressively decentralise the responsibility for water resources management from national to regional institutions, the principle ones being the catchment management agencies (see Part 5 of Chapter 3). The agencies must, in turn, promote the participation of the water users and other stakeholders in their areas in all aspects of water resources management. Before water users and stakeholders can effectively contribute to water resources management in their area they need to be aware of the issues and problems, and to understand what must be done. However, water users and stakeholders are often much better-informed than water resource managers realise, and it is important for consultation to be an interactive dialogue, in which users, stakeholders and managers learn from each other. A comprehensive stakeholder analysis, in which the capacity of users and stakeholders to participate is determined, is therefore an essential prerequisite for any consultation programme.

There are a number of sections in the Act [[1]] which require the publication, in the Government Gazette, of notices of intentions to implement its provisions, to take other appropriate steps to bring the notices to the attention of interested persons, and to consider comments on the notices. Strict, literal adherence to these requirements is of limited value in informing the public about the Act's implications, and the Department has therefore adopted a much broader interpretation of the Act's requirements, and approach to putting them into practice.

The Department has therefore undertaken (and will continue to undertake until such time as the other institutions are able to take over the responsibility), public consultation exercises on such issues as the establishment of water management areas, the pricing strategy, Reserve determinations, and the establishment of catchment management agencies. In addition to consulting with relevant national organisations and stakeholders, public consultation typically comprises a structured programme of regional and local stakeholder identification, communication, provision of information, and discussions in workshop-style meetings. Where necessary and possible stakeholders, particularly from previously-disadvantaged backgrounds, are offered assistance in understanding the matter under discussion, so that they may participate in an informed and meaningful way.

The Department is aware of the danger of stakeholders becoming overloaded with the number and complexity of issues on which they are consulted. The intention is to create a number of representative stakeholder groups in each water management area, and to use them as the focus for all consultation exercises. The composition of the groups may need to be changed to suit the particular topic under discussion. The principle objective is to ensure that everyone who wishes to contribute to the development and implementation of water management strategies is given the opportunity to do so, with the minimum of duplication of effort, in an ongoing, integrated process of consultation on all aspects of the Act's implementation.

The Department has developed guidelines for public participation in water matters, to ensure a consistent approach throughout the country. It is expected that all water management institutions will adopt these guidelines for their consultative processes.

4.3.2The Water Education Programme

This departmental programme (formerly known as the 20/20 Vision for Water Programme) aims to raise awareness among South Africans of water as a scarce and precious resource, and to develop responsible attitudes towards its use and conservation. It is the biggest environmental education project ever undertaken in South Africa, and has as its objectives:-

-Raising the level of understanding of water issues - water literacy - throughout the country;

-Promoting resource conservation to the public;

-Integrating water-related education into the formal curricula of all educational institutions;

-Integrating environmental education into all departmental programmes;

-Establishing partnerships with all stakeholders in the water sector, nationally and internationally, and developing collaborative networks.

Since its inception in 1996 the programme has reached more than 10 000 schools, and plans to expand its activities to tertiary learning institutions. Learners in schools develop their values and life skills by carrying out projects to investigate how water is used, how waste can be prevented, and how to determine if water is fit for human consumption. Learners are also encouraged to share their knowledge and understanding in their communities. The programme works closely with the provincial education and environmental authorities to ensure consistency and integration with the outcomes based education system.

The programme runs the South African Youth Water Competition for high school students, the winner of which will compete for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden.

4.3.3Communications

In addition to the NWA-specific consultation exercises described above, the Department will continue to run an extensive communications programme, which is intended to provide the public with information about the Minister's and the Department's activities, to gather information from the public about water- and forestry-related concerns, and to receive feedback from the public about the Department's performance in undertaking its mandates. Some of the major features of the programme are:-

-Community visits - imbizos - by the Minister and departmental staff for specific purposes such as the opening of schemes and projects. These ad hoc visits are in addition to the regular imbizos in April and November of each year as part of the government programme.

-Ensuring coverage of the Minister's budget debates in the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, in which achievements against legislative mandates and priorities for the future are described.

-Regular press briefings by the Minister, in addition to the twice-yearly parliamentary media briefings.

-Water Week, celebrated in March of each year, in which topical themes are publicised in the media, and at open days at departmental offices throughout the country.

-Coverage, in the form of editorials, advertisements and supplements in the print and electronic media, of schemes, projects and programmes.

Other important sources of information about the Department's intentions and achievements are the Three Year Strategic Plan and the Annual Report, both prepared and published annually in accordance with the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999.

4.4WATER RESEARCH

The importance of research to water resources management cannot be over-emphasised. Research has been fundamental to the creation of knowledge about and understanding of water resources, and for the development of many of the techniques and tools used for their management. Many of the innovative and internationally-applauded provisions in the NWA - notably in respect of resource protection - were built on the results of South African research. New challenges in the water field arise continually however, requiring new understandings and new tools and techniques. Accordingly the Water Research Commission, a statutory body funded from a levy on water use, is developing a new strategic direction for water research in South Africa.

The Commission is the principal leader and co-ordinator of water-related research and development in South Africa. Through its funding and networking activities the Commission encourages the development of water-related knowledge, and facilitates its dissemination and application. The Commission maintains close ties with the Department - the Department's Director-General is a member of the Commission's Board, and there are regular liaison and co-ordination meetings between the two organisations - to ensure that the Department's research needs are known.

There is also co-ordination between the Department, the Water Research Commission and the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, to ensure that approaches to water research are consistent with broad science and innovation policy.

The new approach is founded on five inter-related Key Strategic Areas (KSAs) of research, which are jointly intended to address the fundamental requirements of the NWA (and the Water Services Act) for there to be equity of access to water, and for the use of water to be sustainable. The KSAs are:-

-Water Resource Management, an integrating KSA which will consider issues of equity and sustainability in managing water resources;

-Water-Linked Ecosystems, which will address the protection of water resources;

-Water Use (industrial and domestic) and Waste Management and;

-Sustainable Water Use for Agriculture,

which will address the sustainable use of water in their respective user sectors;

-Knowledge Management, an integrating KSA which refers to the other four, and which will address the mechanisms to ensure that research results and products are effectively disseminated, to water resources managers and other prospective users, in a form that is useful to them .

It will however be necessary to ensure that, in addition to addressing the technical aspects of water, research results are also relevant to and integrated with the broader objectives of water resource management: to contribute to equitable and sustainable social and economic development. The relevance and applicability of research in each KSA will therefore be maximised by addressing the relationships between: water and society; water and the economy; water and health; and water and the environment - four cross-cutting domains which link the KSAs. All research results will be subject to external review, and will be audited against the goals of the relevant KSA.

A key cross-cutting objective of the Commission is to support the development of human resources for the water sector. Involvement in research is recognised as an important vehicle for building and developing expertise among water resource practitioners. Every research project will therefore be required to have a strong element of capacity-building, especially in historically disadvantaged institutions and among previously disadvantaged individuals. For the next five years every member of a previously disadvantaged group who qualifies should be able to obtain sponsorship for post-graduate study through research.

A review will be undertaken of the legislation governing the Water Research Commission, to ensure consistency with the Public Finance Management Act, as well as the evolving framework for the governance of public institutions.

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Note to Chapter 4

[1]Requirement to consult

Section of the Act / About what / Who must consult / With whom
5 / The establishment of the National Water Resource Strategy / The Minister / Interested persons.
8 / The establishment of a Catchment Management Strategy / A Catchment Management Agency / Interested persons.
10 / The development of a Catchment Management Strategy / A Catchment Management Agency / The Minister, Organs of State, Interested persons.
13 / Determination of the class of a water resource and resource quality objectives / The Minister / Interested persons.
16 / Determination of the Reserve / The Minister / Interested persons.
36 / Declaration of stream flow reduction activities / The Minister / Interested persons.
38 / Declaration of controlled activities / The Minister / Interested persons.
39 / Issuing a general authorisation to use water / A responsible authority / Interested persons.
41 / A licence application / The applicant / Relevant Organs of State, Interested persons, the general public.
43 / The requirement to apply for a licence in terms of a compulsory licensing exercise / A responsible authority / Interested persons.
45 / A proposed allocation schedule / A responsible authority / Interested persons.
56 / The establishment of a pricing strategy for water use charges / The Minister / Interested persons.
69 / Making regulations / The Minister / Interested persons.
Regulations must also be tabled in the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
78 / The establishment of a Catchment Management Agency / The Minister / Interested persons.
This provision also applies to changes to the name or area of jurisdiction of a CMA, if the changes affect the rights of any person.
88 / The disestablishment of a Catchment Management Agency / The Minister / Interested persons.
92 / The establishment of a Water User Association / The Minister / Interested persons.
The Minister need not undertake a programme of consultation if there has been sufficient consultation during the process of preparing a submission to establish the association.
96 / The disestablishment of a Water User Association / The Minister / Interested persons.
110 / A proposal to construct a Government waterwork / The Minister / Interested persons.
This requirement does not apply to waterworks constructed in emergency circumstances, temporary waterworks which will be in operation for less than five years, and minor waterworks.
Schedule 3, Item 3 / Making rules to regulate water use / A Catchment Management Agency / Interested persons.