Water: Facts and Futures

WWF South Africa's 2016 report 'Water: Facts and Futures' details the critical state of the country's water security. It highlights that while only 8% of land generates 50% of river flow, these Water Source Areas are under-protected. The report identifies severe threats from invasive alien plants, failing engineered infrastructure (with 37% urban water loss), and widespread pollution from sewage and mining. It calls for a 'Water and Sanitation Revolution' focusing on nature-based solutions, groundwater management, and decentralized service delivery to ensure equitable access to safe water.

• A small portion of the land, termed Water Source Areas (WSAs), is disproportionately critical for water security; only 8% of South Africa's land area generates 50% of the volume of water in its river systems.
• Invasive alien plants significantly reduce water availability, currently lowering it by up to 4%, with the potential to increase to 16% if left uncontrolled. The 'Working for Water' programme has cleared 2.7 million hectares of land to combat this.
• Freshwater ecosystems in South Africa are highly threatened; the majority of wetland and river ecosystem types are threatened, and only 4% of rivers are considered free-flowing.
• South Africa's engineered water infrastructure is ageing and faces significant funding gaps. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) requires an estimated R1.4 billion annually for basic maintenance and an additional R63 billion per year for upgrades to meet projected demands.
• Water loss in urban piped systems is a major inefficiency, with an average of 37% of water leaking out or being used illegally. Reducing this to levels seen in countries like Denmark (5%) could close the gap between supply and demand without new infrastructure.
• Water quality has significantly deteriorated over the last 20 years due to failing sewage treatment works, poor sanitation in informal settlements, acid mine drainage (AMD), industrial effluents, and agricultural runoff.
• Acid mine drainage (AMD), primarily from gold and coal mines, poses a persistent pollution risk. The volume of AMD generated by the Witwatersrand Goldfield is comparable to 10% of the potable water Rand Water supplies to municipalities.
• Despite progress since 1994, significant gaps in basic water and sanitation access remain. Approximately 9% of the population lacks access to piped water, and 19.5% are without improved sanitation services.
• Climate change is expected to intensify water stress in South Africa; a 2°C increase in global temperatures is projected to result in a 4°C increase for the country, with predicted rainfall decreases in the western half and more intense floods in the east.

APA

Colvin, C., Muruven, D., Lindley, D., HelenGordon, & Schachtschneider, K. (2016). Water: Facts and Futures. WWF South Africa. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/wwf009_waterfactsandfutures_report_web__lowres_.pdf

Chicago

Colvin, Christine, Dean Muruven, David Lindley, HelenGordon, and Klaudia Schachtschneider. Water: Facts and Futures. WWF South Africa, 2016. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/wwf009_waterfactsandfutures_report_web__lowres_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Colvin |first1=Christine |last2=Muruven |first2=Dean |last3=Lindley |first3=David |last4=HelenGordon |last5=Schachtschneider |first5=Klaudia |title=Water: Facts and Futures |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=May 2016 |url=http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/wwf009_waterfactsandfutures_report_web__lowres_.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{colvin2016water, author = {Colvin, Christine and Muruven, Dean and Lindley, David and HelenGordon and Schachtschneider, Klaudia}, title = {{Water: Facts and Futures}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/wwf009_waterfactsandfutures_report_web__lowres_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }