Safeguarding water source areas and rural livelihoods together

This report details Phase 3 (2019–2024) of the transformational partnership between WWF South Africa and Nedbank, which received an investment of R25 million. The collaboration focused on safeguarding strategic water source areas, promoting sustainable agriculture in the dairy and fruit sectors, and enhancing rural livelihoods, with a primary geographic emphasis on the Eastern Cape province.

• The partnership achieved significant socio-economic impacts through nine projects, resulting in the creation of 1,652 jobs, skills development for 1,537 individuals, the empowerment of 374 youths, the inclusion of 29 people with disabilities, and the upliftment of approximately 620 women.
• In the uMzimvubu Catchment, the partnership secured 44 springs to provide clean water to villagers, ensuring that 64% of villagers now live less than 1 km from a spring and approximately 60,000 people have year-round water access.
• Rangeland management efforts in the Eastern Cape led to 15,850 hectares being secured under Conservation Agreements and the formation of 44 rangeland associations. The partnership also supported the declaration process for the 49,500 ha Maloti Thaba Tsa Metsi (MTTM) Protected Environment.
• A business case study based on data from 62 dairy farms between 2013 and 2019 demonstrated that sustainable farm management practices are economically viable and do not sacrifice profitability.
• A 2021 water-metering case study on six pasture-based dairy farms showed that monitoring irrigation consumption helps reduce water waste; following the results, four of the six farms invested in irrigation upgrades and leak repairs.
• Agroecology initiatives by the Seriti Institute and Mahlathini Development Foundation improved food security and income for smallholders. In the Mahlathini project, participating households saw a 68% increase in production and income, with an average monthly value of about R3,060.
• The partnership supported the fruit sector by enhancing the SIZA environmental standard to include more biodiversity aspects and committing to conserve over 15,000 hectares in the Cape Floral Kingdom through the Conservation Champions programme.
• The partnership collaborated on sustainable finance, including the founding of the Sustainable Finance Coalition and the launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in South Africa in 2023.

APA

WWF South Africa (2024). Safeguarding water source areas and rural livelihoods together. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/safeguarding-watersource-areas-and-rural-livelihoods-together_wwf-nedbank-2024.pdf?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_tnwtakjegz

Chicago

WWF South Africa. Safeguarding water source areas and rural livelihoods together. 2024. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/safeguarding-watersource-areas-and-rural-livelihoods-together_wwf-nedbank-2024.pdf?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_tnwtakjegz.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=Safeguarding water source areas and rural livelihoods together |date=2024 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/safeguarding-watersource-areas-and-rural-livelihoods-together_wwf-nedbank-2024.pdf?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_tnwtakjegz |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2024safeguarding, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{Safeguarding water source areas and rural livelihoods together}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2024}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/safeguarding-watersource-areas-and-rural-livelihoods-together_wwf-nedbank-2024.pdf?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_tnwtakjegz}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }