Managing Water as a Constraint to Development with Decision-Support Tools That Promote Integrated Planning: The Case of the Berg Water Management Area

The report examines the Berg Water Management Area (WMA) as a 'constrained catchment' where water demand is projected to outstrip supply due to climate change, population growth, and urbanisation. It identifies a misalignment between legislated water allocation processes and economic development planning, noting that water is often treated as an independent variable rather than a co-dependent factor. To address this, the study developed a regional hydro-economic GIS model to forecast water requirements and value the economic opportunity costs of supply deficits, and a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tool for the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality to prioritise development applications based on socio-economic outcomes rather than a first-come-first-served basis. Findings indicate that while the City of Cape Town dominates regional economic value, the West Coast municipalities of Swartland, Saldanha Bay, and Bergrivier face the most significant constraints to future development. The report recommends the creation of a regional water utility and the use of the provincial government's Sustainable Water Management Plan (SWMP) as a forum for integrated planning.

• The Berg Water Management Area (WMA) is a 'constrained catchment' where all readily available water is already allocated, meaning future development requires new resources or reallocation from existing users.
• There is a systemic misalignment in planning where water resource allocation and economic development plans are treated as independent variables, leading to high water-demand projects being planned without assessing the ability of users to fund necessary infrastructure.
• The current water allocation process managed by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) functions primarily as a licensing or authorisation process; the DWS lacks the mandate to withhold authorisations to wait for more economically beneficial applications.
• Under all evaluated climate change models, irrigated agriculture will require more water to remain sustainable, with grapes expected to increase requirements by 34% by 2040.
• While the City of Cape Town dominates regional economic outcomes, the West Coast municipalities of Swartland, Saldanha Bay, and Bergrivier are identified as areas where water is likely to be a significant constraint to future development and livelihoods.
• Urban water usage generates significantly higher economic value per cubic metre than agricultural water; the average value for urban water in the region is R993/m3 compared to R11.37/m3 for irrigated agriculture.
• Agricultural water use provides substantial social value through employment, particularly for low-skilled labour in rural municipalities, though it delivers fewer 'jobs per drop' than non-agricultural sectors.
• The West Coast District Municipality (WCDM) has exceeded its water allocation from the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) since 2008.
• A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tool developed for Saldanha Bay allows the municipality to prioritise development based on socio-economic outcomes and water requirements rather than a first-come-first-served basis.
• The absence of a regional water utility for the Berg WMA hampers the development of local water resources, and the creation of such an entity is recommended to improve coordination and financing.
• The Western Cape Sustainable Water Management Plan (SWMP) is identified as the most appropriate existing forum for the provincial government to provide strategic oversight and implement integrated water and economic planning.

APA

Pengelly, C., Seyler, H., Fordyce, N., van Vuuren, P. J., van der Walt, M., van Zyl, H., & Kinghorn, J. (2017). Managing Water as a Constraint to Development with Decision-Support Tools That Promote Integrated Planning: The Case of the Berg Water Management Area. GreenCape. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/Final-Report.pdf

Chicago

Pengelly, C., H. Seyler, N. Fordyce, P. Janse van Vuuren, M. van der Walt, H. van Zyl, and J. Kinghorn. Managing Water as a Constraint to Development with Decision-Support Tools That Promote Integrated Planning: The Case of the Berg Water Management Area. GreenCape, 2017. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/Final-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pengelly |first1=C. |last2=Seyler |first2=H. |last3=Fordyce |first3=N. |last4=van Vuuren |first4=P. Janse |last5=van der Walt |first5=M. |last6=van Zyl |first6=H. |last7=Kinghorn |first7=J. |title=Managing Water as a Constraint to Development with Decision-Support Tools That Promote Integrated Planning: The Case of the Berg Water Management Area |publisher=GreenCape |date=December 2017 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/Final-Report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pengelly2017managing, author = {Pengelly, C. and Seyler, H. and Fordyce, N. and van Vuuren, P. Janse and van der Walt, M. and van Zyl, H. and Kinghorn, J.}, title = {{Managing Water as a Constraint to Development with Decision-Support Tools That Promote Integrated Planning: The Case of the Berg Water Management Area}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/Final-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }