KM_C554e-20190117115611

This report provides a risk and vulnerability assessment of water resources in the Limpopo Water Management Area (WMA) of South Africa. It analyzes current water resource stresses, observed and projected climate trends, and the resulting vulnerabilities to ensure sustainable water management.

• The Limpopo WMA is characterized by water scarcity where evaporation rates significantly exceed precipitation, a condition that is expected to be magnified by climate change.
• Observed climate trends from 1921 to 2015 show a significant decrease in total annual rainfall in wet days and seasonal rainfall, particularly during March, April, and May, across parts of the WMA.
• Average temperatures in the region have shown a significant increasing trend from 1931 to 2015, with some catchments showing an overall increase of 0.12°C per decade between 1950 and 1999.
• Future climate projections for the 2050s suggest temperatures will likely increase by 2-3°C relative to the 1961-2000 baseline, leading to more heatwaves and increased drought risk due to longer dry spells between March and August.
• Water quality in the WMA is already severely challenged by eutrophication, algal blooms, and pollution from wastewater and mining, which is expected to worsen with higher temperatures and reduced dilution from lower rainfall.
• Groundwater resources in the Mogalakwena and Sand catchments are extensively utilized and possibly over-exploited, primarily by the irrigation sector.
• Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) and bush encroachment act as stream flow reducers; the Sand catchment has the highest IAP density with a condensed area of 134 km².
• The region is prone to a cycle where droughts leave soil eroded, and subsequent flash floods wash this soil into water resources, causing severe siltation and sedimentation that reduces storage capacity.
• The Limpopo WMA is highly dependent on inter-catchment transfers, including water from the Vaal WMA for coal power stations in Lephalale and transfers from the Olifants River catchment to support urban and mining needs in Polokwane and Mokopane.
• Vulnerability assessments indicate that water quality and quantity are highly vulnerable to climate change, with risks amplified by human activities such as overgrazing, conventional tillage, and urban expansion.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). KM_C554e-20190117115611. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-F-Climate-Change-Risk-and-Vulnerability-Asessment-of-Water-Resources-in-th....pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. KM_C554e-20190117115611. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-F-Climate-Change-Risk-and-Vulnerability-Asessment-of-Water-Resources-in-th....pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=KM_C554e-20190117115611 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-F-Climate-Change-Risk-and-Vulnerability-Asessment-of-Water-Resources-in-th....pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndkmc554e20190117115611, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{KM\_C554e-20190117115611}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-F-Climate-Change-Risk-and-Vulnerability-Asessment-of-Water-Resources-in-th....pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }