UMHLATHUZE WATER STEWARDSHIP PARTNERSHIP

The uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership (UWASP) is a multi-stakeholder platform established following a severe drought in 2016 to improve water security and sustainable management of ecological infrastructure in the uMhlathuze catchment of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The partnership coordinates businesses, civil society, and local government to address risks such as water scarcity, deteriorating infrastructure, and increasing demand from urban and industrial sectors.

• The uMhlathuze catchment is identified as a high-risk area for water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change and a severe drought in 2016. Water demand is projected to rise as towns expand; specifically, Richards Bay is expected to require 20 million m³ per annum by 2025, which exceeds its licensed water requirement.
• Water use in the uMhlathuze catchment is distributed across four primary sectors: agriculture (34%), urban (26%), industrial (25%), and forestry (15%).
• UWASP has implemented several strategic initiatives to enhance water security, including the development of real-time monitoring tools like FlowTracker and Inwards Lite, the creation of an invasive alien plant strategy, and providing Good Agricultural Practices (localG.A.P) training to over 50 smallholder farmers in partnership with Siyazisiza Community Trust.
• The partnership's new five-year vision strategy, refined in 2023, focuses on five strategic focus areas (SFAs): integrated knowledge management, stakeholder mobilisation, enhancement of technical and institutional capacities, strengthening water governance, and implementing climate-aware water stewardship projects.

APA

WWF South Africa (n.d.). UMHLATHUZE WATER STEWARDSHIP PARTNERSHIP. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/uwasp-factsheet_mar25.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. UMHLATHUZE WATER STEWARDSHIP PARTNERSHIP. n.d. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/uwasp-factsheet_mar25.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=UMHLATHUZE WATER STEWARDSHIP PARTNERSHIP |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/uwasp-factsheet_mar25.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafricandumhlathuze, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{UMHLATHUZE WATER STEWARDSHIP PARTNERSHIP}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/uwasp-factsheet_mar25.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }