UMHLATHUZE WATER STEWARDSHIP PARTNERSHIP

The uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership (UWASP) is a multistakeholder platform established following a severe drought in 2016 to address water scarcity and security in the uMhlathuze catchment. The catchment is a high-risk area where water demand is projected to rise, with Richards Bay alone expected to require 20 million m³ per annum by 2025. UWASP's new five-year strategy focuses on five strategic areas: integrated knowledge management, stakeholder mobilisation, capacity building, strengthening water governance, and implementing climate-aware water stewardship projects. Past successes include the development of real-time monitoring tools like FlowTracker, invasive alien plant strategies, and providing Good Agricultural Practices training to over 50 smallholder farmers.

• The uMhlathuze catchment is identified as a high-risk area for water scarcity, highlighted by a severe drought in 2016 that caused widespread devastation. Water demand is projected to increase due to population growth and climate change; specifically, Richards Bay is expected to need 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 water security and livelihood initiatives, including the creation of real-time monitoring tools (FlowTracker and Inwards Lite), the development of an invasive alien plant strategy, and supporting over 50 smallholder farmers through Good Agricultural Practices (localG.A.P) training to increase their access to value chains.
• The partnership's updated five-year vision strategy, refined in 2023, is organized around five Strategic Focus Areas (SFAs): integrated knowledge management, stakeholder mobilisation, technical and institutional capacity enhancement, strengthening water governance, and the implementation of 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} }