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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
X-Sender: lorip@pop.lmi.net
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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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