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dam-l SA Water stress/LS



>
>SOUTH AFRICA IS A WATER-STRESSED COUNTRY: ASMAL
>JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa
>
>     Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Kader Asmal on Monday warned
>     that South Africa's water demand could overtake supply in 20 to 30
>     years time.
>
>     Speaking at the launch of a company to promote the export of South
>     African water expertise and technology in Braamfontein,
>     Johannesburg, Asmal said shortages had already occurred in certain
>     regions of the country.
>
>     "South Africa is a water-stressed country where water planners and
>     managers are being faced with increasingly complex issues," he
>     said.
>
>     However, adversity bred ingenuity and it was exactly within this
>     context of sustained challenge that the country's water industry
>     had - through exetensive research and entrepreneurship - succeeded
>     in generating an imposing body of innovative expertise and
>     technology.
>
>     Asmal said water shortages in some regions had brought the need
>     for various inter-basin transfer schemes as rainfall was unevenly
>     distributed, droughts severe and evaporation rates high.
>
>     "Our average annual rainfall is only slightly more than half the
>     world average and projections indicate that our water demand could
>     overtake water supply in some 25-30 years time," Asmal said.
>
>     He said the impact of socio-economic development such as the
>     massive backlogs in water supply and sanitation services to
>     previously disadvantaged communities should also be considered.
>
>     There were serious pollution problems deriving from so-called
>     point sources such as municipal and industrial wastewater
>     treatment plants.
>
>     "Very little dilution capacity is available in our rivers and
>     streams".
>
>     Asmal said sustained industrial and agricultural development was
>     placing increasing demands on available water supplies.
>
>     He said there was a need for capacity building at all levels to
>     deal effectively with the water management requirements in the
>     short and long term.
>
To: irn-safrica@igc.apc.org
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      Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
        and Editor, World Rivers Review
           International Rivers Network
              1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
                  Tel. (510) 848 1155   Fax (510) 848 1008
                        http://www.irn.org
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