Managing Water as a Constraint to Development: How will climate change impact agricultural water requirements in the Berg WMA?

The document analyzes water demand in the Berg WMA, highlighting that climate change will increase the water requirements of key crops like grapes, stone fruit, and citrus. It identifies a significant future water supply deficit, particularly in the municipalities of Swartland, Stellenbosch, and Drakenstein, and argues that the low economic 'value per drop' of agriculture compared to urban use will make securing additional water allocations difficult. The report recommends crop switching to low-water, high-value alternatives and investing in water efficiency technology to mitigate these risks.

• The municipalities of Swartland, Stellenbosch, and Drakenstein are the most vulnerable to water constraints because they have the highest concentration of high-value irrigated crops and the largest current and future water requirements.
• Agricultural water use generates significantly lower economic and social value compared to urban water use, which will likely lead to urban activities being prioritized for any future water supply augmentation schemes.
• Wine grapes are the dominant water consumer in the region, accounting for approximately 79% of irrigated water, and their water requirements are projected to increase by 34% by 2040 due to climate change.
• Climate models predict that higher temperatures will increase crop evapotranspiration rates, while rainfall patterns are expected to shift, with rain occurring later in autumn and spring.
• Major regional crops are all expected to see increased water requirements: citrus fruit by 35%, grapes by 34%, and stone fruit by 29%.
• To address increasing water scarcity, the report suggests switching from grapes to crops that offer higher economic value with lower water intensity, such as pome fruit, stone fruit, herbs, and essential oils.

APA

GreenCape (2018). Managing Water as a Constraint to Development: How will climate change impact agricultural water requirements in the Berg WMA? https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/How-will-climate-change-impact-agricultural-water-requirements-in-the-Berg-WMA.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Managing Water as a Constraint to Development: How will climate change impact agricultural water requirements in the Berg WMA? 2018. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/How-will-climate-change-impact-agricultural-water-requirements-in-the-Berg-WMA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Managing Water as a Constraint to Development: How will climate change impact agricultural water requirements in the Berg WMA? |date=15 May 2018 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/How-will-climate-change-impact-agricultural-water-requirements-in-the-Berg-WMA.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2018managing, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Managing Water as a Constraint to Development: How will climate change impact agricultural water requirements in the Berg WMA?}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/How-will-climate-change-impact-agricultural-water-requirements-in-the-Berg-WMA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }