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Apart from a small strip of winter-rainfall
area along the coast, the Northern Cape is an arid to semi-arid
region with low summer rainfall. Like many areas of low rainfall,
the Northern Cape is also an area of high evaporation potential.
Variability in rainfall results in periodic episodes of severe and
prolonged drought. Due to the lack of surface water in many areas,
ground water is an important resource and in some areas is the only
source of water for consumption.
Water of an acceptable quality is required
to sustain the needs of the agricultural, mining, industrial and
domestic sectors in the Province. The management of water resources
in South Africa takes place within catchments which are called Water
Management Areas (WMAs). Of the 19 WMAs in South Africa, four WMAs
are represented within the Northern Cape. The Lower Orange WMA (with
its three sub-water management areas) sits entirely within the
province while only parts of the Lower Vaal, Upper Orange and
Olifants/Doring WMAs lie within the boundaries.
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| Freshwater quality |
Due to low water availability in certain
parts of the Northern Cape, surface and groundwater quality is an
important issue. Potable water is required to sustain the needs of a
growing urban population and ecosystems require a certain quality of
water in order to function. Where there are areas of naturally poor
quality water, special management techniques may need to be applied
to improve water quality
for particular uses.
Water quality problems usually stem
from sewage pollution, intensive agricultural use of fertilisers
and pesticides, industrial wastes, mining and soil erosion.
Water quality
is measured using:
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| Freshwater ecosystem integrity |
Ecosystem integrity is an important issue
because good quality water and adequate
water flow are required to sustain the growth of specific riverine
ecosystems. Aquatic habitat integrity and water quality are major
determinants of the biological communities in a system. If habitat
is lost or degraded due to for example, changes in land use,
the biological integrity of the system will be negatively affected. Freshwater
ecosystem integrity
is reported through:
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| Resource value |
Water resources are valued because of their
contribution to sustaining life and livelihoods. They are also
valued because of their scarcity in many regions of the world,
inlcuding parts of the Northern
Cape.
Human activities like inappropriate mining
practices can lead to a deterioration of the quality of the water
resource, making the remaining water more valuable to sectors that
rely on it (agriculture,
tourism).
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| Resource use |
Demands for water supplies come from a
variety of sectors including urban and rural populations,
industries, mines and agriculture. These demands must be managed
against the volumes of water which are available for use so that a
supply is available for present and future
needs.
The National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS)
recognises that in addition to human requirements, the water
resources required to sustain functioning ecosystems (ecological
reserve determination) is an important consideration when
determining water available for use. The indicator chosen to monitor
resource use
is:
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| Water resource management |
Water resource management involves
controlling flow, minimising usage, prevention of pollution, and monitoring and evaluation.
This is an important issue for the Northern Cape and one
which raises many challenges. For example, there are four WMAs within the
provincial boundary where responsibility for management of resources
rests
with other provinces.
In addition, the Orange River is one
of South Africa's four main rivers which are
shared with other countries. Namibia and South Africa share a 600km
border along the lower, western reaches of the Orange River before
it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. This represents an important challenge for
integrated resource management between the two countries. These
issues
are measured using:
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