Science armour to protect WATERBERG'S AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

48 Pages·2014·6.09 MB·English

ISSN 0258-2244 March/April 2014 Volume 13 No 2
Science armour to protect
WATERBERG’S AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
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CONTENTS
4
FLUID THOUGHTS
5
UPFRONT
8 WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Research builds body of knowledge to protect Waterberg rivers
12 OPINION
Madibeng: The place of ‘water’
WATER AND ENERGY
14
Is government’s biofuel strategy waterproof? WRC study
investigates
SMALLHOLDER IRRIGATION
18
Management, tenure issues threaten Limpopo smallholder
irrigation schemes
22 ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
Ecological restoration – Giving back to SA’s watercourses
26 WATER HISTORY
The forgotten work of the Inter-Colonial Irrigation Commission
30 BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION
Collaborative conservation effort to save one of SA’s smallest frogs
MUNICIPAL SERVICE DELIVERY
34
Better sanitation services to schools, municipality, thanks to
franchising
AQUATIC SCIENCE
37
Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists – serving the
region for 50 years
THE WATER WHEEL is a two-monthly
WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
magazine on water and water research 42
Broadening the perspective: Water quality and land uses in the
published by the South African Water
Wilderness area
Research Commission (WRC), a
statutory organisation established in 44 WATER KIDZ
1971 by Act of Parliament. Science expo water control system wins special prize
Subscription is free. Material in this
publication does not necessarily reflect 46 LAST WORD
the considered opinions of the mem- New research chair for Stellenbosch University
bers of the WRC, and may be copied
with acknow ledgement of source.
Editorial offices: ISSN 0258-2244 March/April 2014 Volume 13 No 2
Water Research Commission, Private Cover: Intensive studies of the
Bag X03, Gezina, 0031, Republic of Waterberg’s rivers by members of
South Africa. the CSIR Natural Resources & the
Tel [phone]. Fax [phone]. Environment have revealed compelling
WRC Internet address: reasons why these aquatic ecosystems
http://www.wrc.org.za should be protected against pending
Follow us on Twitter: industrial development. See the
@WaterWheelmag article on page 8.
Editor: Lani van Vuuren, (Cover photography courtesy CSIR)
E-mail: [email protected];
Science armour to protect
Editorial Secretary: Mmatsie Masekoa, WATERBERG’S AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
E-mail: [email protected];
Layout: Drinie van Rensburg, 3
The Water Wheel March/April 2014
E-mail: [email protected]
Upfront
Fluid Thoughts
Fluid Thoughts WRC CEO, Dhesigen Naidoo
The global hunger crisis – Water as a route to nutritional security
According to the official world. The secondary message This amounts to approximately More recent work is geared
statistics of the United is that great strides have been 1.1 billion tons. toward direct empowerment of
Nations Food and Agriculture made in recent times, strides The WRC and its partners poorer communities who have
Organisation (FAO), in 2011- that demonstrate that we have have been pursuing a research the tradition of growing and/or
13, there were 842 million some of the core elements of and development programme harvesting indigenous crops.
people defined as chronically solutions that may eventually to directly address various parts While these crops have been
undernourished in the world. lead to universal nutritional of this puzzle with encouraging proven to be more resilient in
Chronic hunger is defined security. contributions. These include harsher conditions, there has
as ‘not getting enough food to This nutritional security landmark work in the irrigation been a debate as to whether
lead active and healthy lives’. defined by ‘access to food’ is the domain. Smart solutions with there was a nutritional sacrifice
This is one in eight people in end point of a complex web of high impact include the water associated with this choice.
the world. Of this, 826.3 mil- factors and interdependencies administration system or WAS, Recent WRC projects have
lion are in the developing world as illustrated in Figure 1. which is now being rolled out demonstrated that the nutri-
while only 15.7 million reside in The complexity of the under the auspices of the Strate- tional content of traditional
OECD countries. resource factors (water, energy, gic Water Partnership Network crops, including African leafy
According to FOA DG, land and finance) are exacer- (SWPN). Further beacons vegetables, is high and, in some
Jose Graziano da Silva, this bated by the behaviour of the include creative combined water cases, higher than commercial
was a vast improvement on the markets. This is compounded and power off-grid solutions crops. In addition, the water
1990 figures when more than a exponentially by consumer (using rain water harvesting and budgets of these crops remain
billion people worldwide were behaviour. It is estimated that bio-digesting pastoral waste) positive with lower than aver-
deemed to be chronically hun- as much as a third of all food such as the Green Village project age water use and the advan-
gry. This progress is significant produced is dumped as waste. in Okhombe, KwaZulu-Natal. tage of being primarily rainfed.
especially given that there has The additional boons

been an exponential growth in   include the possibility of
population in that period.   developing whole new market
  Water 
The largest gains though Availability mechanisms for indigenous
have been in East Asia, South Energy  crops. This may mean that
Land  
East Asia and Latin America Tenure  Access  economic access may be
where we have witnessed a 17% improved as indigenous crops
decrease in the total number of are shielded from the com-
Adequate  Climate 
undernourished people from Food  and  modity trading mechanisms
995.5 million in 1990-92 to Production Weather which are the current key price
Markets 
826.6 million in 2011-13. In drivers and in many instances,
Rules and 
2013, it was estimated that only Access  together with the sophisti-
Resource 
50 out of nearly 190 countries Access and  cated distribution chains, the
had already achieved the Access to  Logistics  mainstay reason for food price
Food 
Millennium Development Goal inflation.
of halving the number of hun- While water wise indig-
gry in the world. enous crops will not in the
The central message is that Nutritional  short term offer the solution
Security 
nutritional security remains to bring 850 million people
unachieved for 12.5% of human out of chronic hunger, it cer-
beings today, and most of these Figure1. An illustration of the complexity of the interdependent relationships between resource tainly holds promise for several
people are in the developing availability and the market that eventually determines nutritional security. million people, particularly
4
The Water Wheel March/April 2014
Upfront
in Sub-Saharan Africa to not River biomonitoring tool
only ensure an end to hunger,
scoops international award
but also offers the possibil-
ity of sustainable livelihood
to very small scale, largely GroundTruth (a specialist consulting their concerns around water quality and
subsistence farmers and their company) and the Wildlife and service delivery’.
communities. Environment Society of South Africa The miniSASS biomonitoring project
(WESSA) have jointly received a RCE is now implemented on a Google
Recently published Recognition Award for an ‘Outstand- Earth platform, which makes all of the
ing Flagship Project’ on behalf of the results visible in the public domain.
WRC reports
KwaZulu-Natal Regional Centre of The research of miniSASS is supported
related to food
Expertise (RCE). by the Water Research Commission
security
This award recognises the achieve- (WRC).
ments of the Stream Assessment Scoring The international award from the
• Water use and nutri- System (miniSASS), and it was received United Nations is the second award
ent content of crop and by Tich Pesanayi from WESSA REEP that miniSASS has received in the last
animal food products (Southern African Development Commu- few months, following the recognition
for improved household nity Regional Environmental Education received from WRC in the form of a
food security (Report Programme) at a high-profile event acknowledges ‘River health monitor- ‘Community Empowerment Award’.
No. TT 537/12) held at the United Nations University ing and public mobilisation using the To learn more about the miniSASS
• Nutritional status of as part of the 8th Global RCEs Conference miniSASS community river health project, including how to sample the
South Africans: Links on Education for Sustainable Develop- monitoring tool’. The citation further health of a river, submit river health
to agriculture and water ment. The conference was held in notes the project’s ‘contribution to the data and gain access to a host of
(Report No. 362/P/08) Kenya late last year. development of an innovative platform supporting resource materials,
• Agricultural water use The citation on the award for citizens to measure and express visit: www.minisass.org
in homestead gardening
systems (Report No.
TT 430/09 and Water Diary
TT 431/09)
• Water use and drought Water innovation The Department of Civil Engineering, be held in Thaba Nchu, Free State.
tolerance of selected May 25-29 Stellenbosch University, is presenting a Enquiries: Petrie Vogel; Tel: (012)
traditional crops (Report Nelspruit block course on water services planning. 346-0687; Fax: [phone]; Email:
No. 1771/1/13) The Water Institute of Southern Africa The focus is on water reticulation net- [email protected]; or Visit: www.
• Nutritional value and Biennial Conference & Exhibition will work planning and modelling, including savetcon.co.za to register.
water use of African leafy be held in Nelspruit. Enquiries: Jaco pipes, pumps, reservoirs and valves. One
vegetables for improved Seaman; Tel: [phone]; Fax: session also addresses O&M. An optional Sediment water science
livelihoods (Report [phone]; Email: events@wisa. 4th day (20 June) involves a hands-on July 15-18
No. TT 535/12 and org.za; Visit: www.wisa.org.za modelling experience and is available to The International Association for
TT 536/12 (production those who attend the 3 day course. sediment water science (IASWS) brings
guidelines)) Water resource The course is co-ordinated by Prof together and fosters collaborative
management HE Jacobs, with experts from industry, research and dialogue between earth
June 11-12 other universities and local authorities scientists, biologists, chemists and
Bloemfontein contributing expertise. Presentation environmental engineers whose
The Second African Water Symposium and all course material is in English. An interests pertain to sediment-water
titled ‘Planning for the future’ will iPAD Mini is up for grabs in our hydraulic interactions in all aquatic systems.
be held in conjunction with the 6th network modelling competition, open Conference themes include the impact
Orange River Basin Symposium at to course delegates only. Enquiries: of sediments on ecosystem functioning
the University of the Free State. For Rene Burger, Tel: [phone], Email: and human health; multiple stressors;
enquiries Tel: [phone]’Fax: [email protected] or visit www.civeng. scale-dependent connectivity in aquatic
[phone]; Email: info@african- sun.ac.za. systems; technical and methodological
watersymposium.co.za or Visit: advances in sediment-water science;
www.africanwatersymposium.co.za Aquatic science and physical and biochemical processes
June 22-26 in sediment systems. Enquiries: Prof
Drinking water Thaba ‘Nchu Kate Rowntree; Email: [email protected].
reticulation The 2014 conference of the Southern za or visit: www.iasws2014.co.za for
June 17-20 African Society of Aquatic Scientists will more information.
5
The Water Wheel March/April 2014
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The Water Wheel March/April 2014
Water and the environment
CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment researcher, Arno de Klerk, is
looking into the possible degree of risk for a variety of potential impacts
Courtesy CSIR oonf h tihse P whDat setru qduieasl.ity and aquatic ecosystems of the Mokolo River, as part
Research builds body of knowledge to protect
WATERBERG RIVERS
Coal contributes 93% of the country’s future additional energy
total electricity consumed requirements. Home to what is
While a growing number of developers in the country. Growing believed to be the third-largest coal
demand for electricity in South reserves in South Africa, the area is
are staking a claim in the coal-rich
Africa has resulted in a massive elec- set to become a new powerhouse for
Waterberg, researchers are building a body
trification programme, with several coal-fuelled electricity production
of knowledge to ensure the sustainable new power stations being built or on in the country – a far cry from the
the cards. In turn, this increases the agriculture-dominated area it is today.
development of this Limpopo region’s unique
demand for coal. Development has been triggered
aquatic ecological infrastructure. Article by
The Waterberg is considered the by Eskom’s new Medupi Power
Lani van Vuuren. ‘next frontier’ in terms of coal- Station outside Lephalale. Accord-
mining in South Africa, cited by ing to Eskom’s website, the power
many as the answer to much of the station, which is currently under
8
The Water Wheel March/April 2014
Water and the environment
construction, will be the ‘fourth- power generation and related devel- “These baseline …will provide a useful
largest coal plant in the Southern opment, could have far reaching benchmark against which possible future
Hemisphere’, and will be ‘the biggest consequences for the Waterberg’s
deterioration in the water quality and
dry-cooled power station in the rivers. The Waterberg hills form
ecosystem health of these aquatic eco­
world’. the headwaters of four main rivers,
systems can be assessed.”
This has prompted various min- namely the Lephalale, Mokolo,
ing companies to start prospecting Matlabas and Mogalakwena riv-
in the Waterberg region. Further ers. These rivers are also important undertaken. Funding for the studies,
expansion could see more new tributaries of the internationally which have stretched over several
power stations being constructed significant Limpopo River, which years, have been provided mainly by
and several more new coal mines forms the border between South the CSIR, with additional funding
being added to the region to supply Africa and Botswana, between South from Eskom.
the necessary coal for these large Africa and Zimbabwe, while flowing The ultimate objective of these
operations. This will undoubtedly downstream through Mozambique. studies has been to develop a set
lead to dramatic changes in the A few years ago, a team from the of ecological indicators that can be
landscape. CSIR’s Natural Resources & the Envi- used to provide an accurate baseline
ronment (NRE) started conducting estimate of the ecological status and
WATER RESOURCES
a series of in-depth investigations integrity of the aquatic ecosystems
into the state of the Waterberg’s river in the important rivers draining
All of these economic develop- systems. The studies have included the Waterberg, explains CSIR NRE
ments, with accompanied numerous sampling trips to the researcher, Arno de Klerk. “The
population growth and urbanisation region’s main rivers over the years studies have provided us with a
(Lephalale, for example, is currently during different seasons, with a relatively good idea of the state of the
the fastest growing town in South great deal of samples being collected Waterberg’s rivers before additional
Africa), are likely to have an effect across different tropic levels (benthic industrial and mining develop-
on the Waterberg’s water resources. algae, phytoplankton, protozoans, ments. These baseline results are of
Ironically, the Waterberg has not macroinvertebrates and fish) from immense significance, because these
been blessed with an abundance of the rivers. data will provide a useful benchmark
The Mokolo Dam,
water and does, in fact, have a dry In addition, water quality analy- against which possible future dete-
located on the river of
climate. Even before all the economic ses, isotope analyses of macroin- rioration in the water quality and
the same name, is the
expansion in the area there was vertebrates, as well as investigations ecosystem health of these aquatic largest impoundment in
hardly any additional water left in into riparian vegetation have been ecosystems can be assessed.” the catchment.
the region to meet future demands.
This has prompted authorities
to seek additional water in other
catchments. To meet the future
Research builds body of knowledge to protect
water demand in the Waterberg, the
Department of Water Affairs (DWA)
has embarked on the Mokolo Croco-
WATERBERG RIVERS
dile Water Augmentation Project,
which entails the phased construc-
tion of two main bulk raw water
transfer systems, as well as associated
infrastructure to transfer water from
the Crocodile (West) and Marico
catchments to the Mokolo River
catchment, the main catchment of
the Waterberg. The first phase of this
project is expected to be completed
in 2015.
IMPACT ON RIVERS
Tin pohalbelus pttirroaoncjet aicostnseod, c ciionautceprdelea wdse iwt ihni tm hw iaan treinirs ge, Courtesy CSIR
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The Water Wheel March/April 2014
Water and the environment
STATE OF THE “The Mokolo River faces impacted by future development.
WATERBERG’S RIVERS the same types of risks The main impoundment on the
river, the Mokolo Dam, is currently
from activities that exert
the sole surface water supply for
Researchers have had to build progressively more seri­
the Lephalale Municipality and for
good relationships with local ous adverse impacts on
irrigation farmers, who use the vast
stakeholders, such as farmers, to
water quality and aquatic majority of the river’s water.
gain access to potentially useful
ecosystems in the upper According to Arno, the team
monitoring sites. In addition to
Olifants River, includ­ has already found elevated levels of
getting permission to enter private
oxidative stress within certain organ-
premises to gain access to the rivers ing acid mine drainage,
isms tested at both agricultural and
they were studying, researchers have return flows from agri­
sand-mining impacted sites. “Our
also had to dodge snakes, hippos and culture, and discharge of
studies indicate that these organ-
crocodiles.
sewage effluent.” isms are showing signs of stress. We
Despite these challenges, their
are now investigating it further by
results have borne fruit, with
employing gene expression-based
investigations revealing that the
Ophrydium versatile in the Lephalala biomarkers to screen for the impact
Waterberg’s main rivers are still in
River. This was the first ever record- of pollution in the surface waters.”
reasonably good condition as far as
ing of this species of protozoa in an In addition, researchers are
water quality and aquatic ecosystem
African river. Ophrydium versatile looking into other potential water/
health is concerned. In addition,
needs clean water and a high pen- sediment quality impacts, as well as
researchers have also made some
etration of the sun to survive in the impacts on the biological commu-
remarkable discoveries, which
water. This protozoan has subse- nity structures of the algae, inver-
emphasise the need to preserve the
quently also been recorded in the tebrates and fish. “From our results
generally good condition of the
CSIR principal Mokolo River. to date it appears that the impact of
Waterberg rivers’ waters.
researcher, Dr Paul Interesting biota have also been nutrient enrichment is of specific
Oberholster, during One of these discoveries has been
discovered in the Mokolo River. concern [in the Mokolo River catch-
a site visit to the that of CSIR principal researcher,
CSIR researcher, Leanie de Klerk, ment].” Potential sources of nutrient
Waterberg rivers. Dr Paul Oberholster, who found
(with the assistance of Dr Anatoliy enrichment are runoff from informal
Levanets of North West University) settlements, wastewater treatment
has found a filament-forming works that are not functioning opti-
desmid (a type of green algae), mally, and agriculture.
Micrasterias foliacea, in the river. Stakeholders (such as farm-
The only other known report of a ers) in the Lephalale area have also
filament forming Micrasterias sp. in expressed particular concern over
Southern Africa is from a stream in sand mining activities reported in
Lesotho. the Mokolo River. “As yet we don’t
The NRE team has also reported know enough about the specific
the discovery of a fish, Barbus spp., impacts that these activities have on
in the headwaters of the Mokolo the Mokolo River (and its associated
and Lephalala rivers, the identity biota), nor the residual impacts of
of which still needed to be properly these activities in the long term.”
investigated at the time of writing. Impacts on the Mokolo River are
further exacerbated by relatively low
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
water levels being experienced in the
river over the past year.
Not all is well with the Water-
MOKOLO RIVER STUDY
berg’s rivers, however. The
CSIR team has expressed its con-
cern for the region’s largest river This research also forms part
system, the Mokolo River, due not of Arno’s PhD study, which is
only to the variety of different land looking into the possible degree of
use activities adjacent to the river risk for a variety of potential impacts
Courtesy CSIR ambte ucpnarueicssieepn tathl (issseu rwcivhaeg are s iw sa golirrkikecsluy),l ttbuour bet eaa lnmsdoo st oestcnuo dtshyye sw tweimlal tsce oro mfq utphaaelri etMy t ohakneo drle oas quRulitavst efircr.o Tmh is
10
The Water Wheel March/April 2014