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Speech by Ms B P Sonjica, Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry
of the Republic of South Africa Theme 1: Implementation "know how for action" FAO/Netherlands
International Conference on Water for Food and Ecosystems "Make it Happen",
The Hague, the Netherlands, 31 January 2005 Chairperson
of the conference, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands
Dr Cees Veerman. His Royal Highness, Prince Willem Alexander, Prince
of Orange, Crown Prince of the Netherlands
Your Excellencies Director
General of the FAO, Mr Jacques Diouf
Honoured guests, Ladies and Gentlemen I
feel honoured in taking this platform to share with you Over the past decade
many developing countries including South Africa have devoted their energies in
policy formulation and review of their policies to promote science and arts of
water management for agriculture, food production and ecosystems. This was in
compliance with the objectives and the targets set by the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) as far back as 1992. The International Commission on
Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) during the Third World Water Forum in 2003 in Kyoto
in Japan postulated that advancements in technology have made it easier to build
mathematical models side by side with traditional and conventional models to enable
rational approach for evolution of water policies. Governments as custodians
of natural resources have formulated policies which are in line with international
commitments on sustainable development. The global challenge now is how we going
to successfully implement these policies in a manner that allows every stakeholder
to be empowered to manage the natural resources. In so doing, the responsibility
of our natural resource management would be transferred into the hands of the
users. Without the support and the ownership of the implementation process by
the multi-stakeholders, commitments made to sustainable development of our planet's
available natural resources will mean nothing. The South African experience In
1994 a new democratic Government of South Africa faced the challenge of reforming
water legislation as part of a much broader process of transformation. The
key challenge faced was to address the plight of the black majority, which had
not just been politically oppressed, but also systematically excluded from participation
in the economy, except at the most menial level in which a minority had access
to the bulk of productive resources. This had to be achieved against the
backdrop of a difficult global environment, hostile to active government intervention
and unforgiving of any deviation from the fiscal rectitude prescribed by the Washington
consensus. Given the challenges, we believe that South Africa has made tremendous
progress in our first decade of freedom. But another set of constraints
was less remarked on: Those were the natural challenges posed by aridity (according
to the World Water Assessment, we are the 30th driest country per capita in the
world), very unevenly distributed rainfall and a variable climate. These
posed particular challenges for our rural communities and for the huge population
of "displaced urban" dwellers that had been prevented from settling
in the cities where the economy was centred. A huge population was dependent
on a very small natural resource base. It was not, therefore, surprising to find
that in those rural areas to which black South Africans had been restricted, the
principal source of income for households was pension payments and remittances
from urban-based family members. Nor was it surprising to find that in many
areas, the productive capacity of the land had been degraded and in many cases
was no longer cultivated. In this context there were a number of priorities:
We
had to address the imbalance in access to land;
we had to address the low incomes
of the rural poor;
we had to ensure that the way we did this did not undermine
the formal economy which was providing employment and government revenue to enable
government to pursue its programmes; and
we had to achieve these objectives
sustainable, without doing further damage to the land and environment more generally. Policy
and legislative review This conjuncture provided my Government and the South
African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in particular with a unique challenge
and opportunity to undertake a fundamental review of the nation's approach to
water management and to put in place a legal and policy framework to achieve our
goals. This required us to draw on the principles enshrined in our Constitution
governing the use of natural resources, which determined that Government was the
custodian of the nation's water resources and "must ensure that water is
protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in a sustainable
and equitable manner for the benefit of all persons and in accordance with its
national mandate". According to Chapter 2 of South Africa's Bill of
Rights, everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their
health and well-being, to have the environment protected for the benefit of present
and future generations, and to have access to sufficient food and water. These
statements echo the precepts outlined in Agenda 21 and set the scene for the development
of policies and legislation that are socially and economically enabling, while
also ensuring sustainability. The promulgation of South Africa's National
Water Act in 1998 formalised my country's changed approach to the management and
utilisation of its water resources. However, a change in law does not automatically
change the attitudes of those who may continue to regard water as ever-present
and ever-accessible. For this to happen, a marked change in attitude towards water
resource management on the part of those tasked with the law's implementation
is imperative. The law was guided by a set of principles, among which are
the following: "The objective of managing the quantity, quality and
reliability of the nation's water resources is to achieve optimum, long term,
environmentally sustainable social and economic benefit for society from their
use.
The quantity, quality and reliability of water required to maintain the
ecological functions on which humans depend shall be reserved so that the human
use of water does not individually or cumulatively compromise the long term sustainability
of aquatic and associated ecosystems. The water required to meet the basic
human needs referred to in Principle 8 and the needs of the environment shall
be identified as "the Reserve" and shall enjoy priority of use by right.
The use of water for all other purposes shall be subject to authorization. " The
establishment of the Ecological Reserve was arguably the most important development
in environmental sustainability for decades. The challenge we are now facing is
implementing the policy that is based on these noble ideals. Implementation
challenges As I have already indicated, one key element of our approach
in South Africa is to ensure that we do not undermine the formal economy on which
we depend. In this context there was no attempt at radical redistribution
of water. Our concern has rather been to ensure that we achieve optimum, long
term, environmentally sustainable social and economic benefit for society from
their use. To this end, an early priority has been to promote greater efficiency
in water use. One simple way to do this was to end the previous monopoly of riparian
rights, in terms of which water was virtually owned by those through whose land
it flowed. This was not just inequitable, but was also inefficient since
it was difficult for water rights to be passed from low value to higher value
uses or to be distributed more equitably. National Water Resources Strategy
(NWRS) Legislation is implemented by means of strategies. Chapter 2 of South
Africa's National Water Act of 1998 required the Minister of Water Affairs and
Forestry (my predecessor), after consultation with stakeholders at large, to develop
a National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS) that would facilitate the proper management
of water resources The first edition of the National Water Resource Strategy
has been approved and was widely circulated for stakeholder /public consideration
and input. It was noted in Chapter 1 that the fundamental objectives for managing
South Africa's water resources are to achieve equitable access to water
resources and their sustainable and efficient use. In Chapter 2 it was concluded
that, although they are limited and highly variable, the country's water resources
would be sufficient to support social and economic development for the foreseeable
future provided they are judiciously managed, and wisely allocated. Implementation
of South Africa's National Water Act of 1998 yielded some remarkable outputs.
It helped my government to meet basic needs of clean potable water, food and energy
while taking into account all three sectors namely, water for food, people and
ecosystems. The 10th anniversary of our democracy was also marked by the
celebration of 10 millionth South African household that received potable water. Equitable
access has both a short-term and long-term dimension. It is important that the
needs of current and future generations are considered in the management of water
resources. Examples of environmental water requirements and implementation The
strategy to develop new dams is taking into consideration the requirements of
the Reserve, allowing for specific release structures to be constructed giving
effect to the requirements of the Ecological Reserve. The Thukela River
Study, in the Kwazulu-Natal Province, is an example of getting it right from the
start, as the planning studies have taken all the important aspects of social,
economic and ecological consideration into account in one of the most comprehensive
studies ever undertaken to ensure that we are well prepared to ensure equity and
sustainability. The work that my Department is undertaking in the Mhlathuze
River, also in Kwazulu-Natal, is a serious attempt not only to investigate, but
also to implement, the provisions to ensure water allocation in such a way so
as to address future needs and the imbalances of the past. It is very important
to emphasise that the National Water Act of 1998 highlights the link between integrated
water management and socio-economic development. Water management, which steers
the distribution of the multiple benefits from water within society, is intrinsically
developmental. The assumption that water management is merely 'technical' or 'an
end in itself' is a mistake. We, therefore, view new water management institutions
by definition as developmental in nature. We need to see these institutions play
a major role in poverty eradication and it is a serious challenge to the research
and development community to find ways of contributing to this agenda. It is my
concern that these institutions will find themselves "fighting fires"
in a way and not being readily able to pick up new approaches and techniques.
We
need to admit that the process to implement is technically challenging as the
successful management of water resources is critically dependent upon our ability
to integrate various decision-making processes.
Water for Food and Rural Development
1. Lessons from the past
As in many developing countries, South Africa
has its share of dysfunctional irrigation schemes.
While serious mistakes
were made by the apartheid government in following a top-down approach in the
planning and implementation of most of these schemes, they also face huge challenges
of viability in a liberalised agricultural market in which prices and markets
are uncertain and limited farmer support is available. In the revitalisation
of the irrigation schemes, the economic, social and environmental aspects are
now integrated in a highly participatory and bottom-up approach with the objective
of ensuring ownership of the solutions and creating truly sustainable community
development.
The South African Government is actively busy with the implementation
of a process approach that was developed from the numerous and expensive lessons
that were learned during the past. 2. Meeting the growing and changing demands
for food, alleviate poverty and maintain economic growth
The policies and strategies
for food security fall mainly under the auspices of the South African Department
of Agriculture. However, there is great cooperation between the later and DWAF.
While at a national level, self-sufficiency is not a goal and food security is
achieved as much through trade as through local production, at the household level
the position is different. In the household context, my Department has a
potentially vital role to play in supporting poor rural families to improve their
livelihoods by making water available not just for domestic use, but also for
household production. The National Water Act of 1998 makes provision, under
Schedule 1, for water to be taken for the growing of food for reasonable domestic
use and for food gardens not for commercial purposes. In those areas where there
is still water available, general authorizations allow the taking of water for
larger endeavours, up to certain volumes specified by my Department. In other
areas, formal licenses are required for irrigation activities. We also
support irrigation activities by small scale producers through the provision of
a subsidy for water infrastructure, from treadle pumps to dams. One of the challenges
that we face, that is peculiar to the racial history of South Africa, is that
in the farming community, 95% of the water is used by white farmers. The black
farming community, once vibrant and efficient, has been all but destroyed by the
years of apartheid, and is only now slowly being rebuilt. As part of rebuilding
black agriculture, we will need to redistribute water from white farmers to black
farmers. The National Water Act of 1998 allows that through a process of compulsory
licensing, water can be reallocated to ensure ecological sustainability of water
resources, to address the result of past racial and gender discrimination, and
to stimulate economic growth. It will be a challenge to our considerable innovative
abilities to do this in a way that enhances our economy. We are also moving
towards rain water harvesting for targeted areas where the poorest are concentrated.
As part of South Africa's contribution to the achievement of the United Nation's
Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) and specifically to reduce by half the number
of food insecure households, DWAF is financially supporting the construction of
rain water harvest tanks to rural households. 3. Actions and measures to
improve efficiency and sustainability of agricultural water use taking account
of social, economic and environmental uniqueness South Africa is in the
process of implementing the NWRS which establishes the institutional framework
for the protection, use, development, conservation, management and control of
water resources for the country as a whole. It also provides the framework within
which water will be managed at regional or catchment level, in defined water management
areas. NWRS, which must be formally reviewed from time to time, is binding on
all authorities and institutions exercising powers or performing duties under
the National Water Act of 1998. Furthermore the National Water Act of 1998
requires every catchment management agency to progressively develop a catchment
management strategy for the water resources within its water management area.
Catchment management strategies must be in harmony with the National Water Resource
Strategy. In the process of developing this strategy, a catchment management agency
must seek co-operation and agreement on water-related matters from the various
stakeholders and interested persons. The catchment management strategy, which
must be reviewed from time to time, will include a water allocation plan. At
this point, I must refer to the issue of the Johannesburg Programme of Action
and the national water management plans that are due to be in place by the end
of this year. I raise this topic because I am convinced that one of the major
issues that need to be included in those management plans for most African countries
is the issue of further development of big infrastructure - or, if I may use the
words, the building of dams. I am glad to see that the World Bank has finally
come around to the position that we have taken for a long time, those developing
countries, and particularly countries in Africa, need more dams. South
Africa is currently battling the impacts of a drought. Recent rains in most parts
of the country have saved us from devastation, but in some areas the impact has
been severe. We have seen significant restrictions on water use by farmers - up
to 100% reductions in water use in some areas. Despite the drought, however, we
have managed to get through the drought so far, largely because of our well developed
storage facilities. The same cannot be said of many other countries in Africa
where the per capita volume of water in storage is frighteningly low. We
need to build more dams in Africa. We need to build them in a way that takes into
account the needs of the aquatic ecology, and takes into account the needs of
affected people. But there can be no doubt that we need more dams. If we are to
increase the agricultural productivity of the world, one element of the plan must
be to build dams in Africa. Conclusion Even if it is a cliché,
it is necessary to say that appropriate management of water is a priority, especially
in light of global climate change and increasing pressures on limited water supplies.
The manifestations of the challenges could reach global proportions, but it should
be borne in mind that the answers would be found in the regional, national and
local context. South Africa had done much to address the challenge. The
political changes, as well as the changes in water policy, have won worldwide
esteem for South Africa. The slogan "Some, for all, forever" captures
the essence of what is needed, and is a succinct political translation of what
is needed. Internationally, South Africa is at the forefront of water resources
management changes and we are willing to share our expertise with the rest of
the developing world. South Africa, like many other developing countries,
has an excellent law and policy, but the capacity to implement these is still
needed. My Department is undergoing major changes with regard to how to conduct
its business in terms of collaborative management and it needs to be supported
at the appropriate level with science, knowledge and capacity development. I
would like to end by saying that the South African slogan Batho Pele (People first)
must be upheld, because if we put people first we will ensure sustainable utilisation
and protection of our limited water resources to support social and economic activities. There
is a slogan used by my Department which encapsulates the approach we are trying
to implement. It is an approach that balances economic, social and environmental
needs in the use of water. It is an approach that sees the protection of the aquatic
ecosystem as integral to the sustainable production of food, the sustainable development
of rural communities, the future of the country. The slogan is a simple one, but
a powerful one, and one that carries a message for all of us. The slogan is "Ensuring
some for all for ever, together". I thank you. For further information
contact Chris Botha on 09 31 70 392 4501
Issued on behalf of South African
Embassy in the Hague by the Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
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February 2005 | 
