Water: Facts and Futures

The report provides a comprehensive overview of South Africa's water crisis, highlighting the critical role of 'ecological infrastructure' and the need to transition from a reliance on ageing surface-water dams to sustainable groundwater management and water-sensitive urban design. It details the threats to freshwater biodiversity, the systemic failures in wastewater treatment and sanitation, and the necessity of public-private partnerships in water stewardship to mitigate risks to the economy and public health.

• South Africa is naturally water-scarce, with an average annual rainfall of 490mm, which is half the global average. National water demand is projected to increase by 32% to 17,700 million m3 by 2030 due to industrial development and population growth.
• A small portion of the land, known as Water Source Areas (WSAs), is disproportionately vital for water security; only 8% of South Africa's land area generates 50% of the volume of water in its river systems. However, only 16% of these WSAs are formally protected as parks or nature reserves.
• Invasive alien plants significantly reduce water availability, currently lowering it by up to 4%, with a potential increase to 16% if left uncontrolled. Biological control agents have helped mitigate this, saving South Africa approximately R6.5 billion annually in ecosystem benefits.
• South Africa's engineered water infrastructure is ageing and inefficient, with an average asset age of 39 years. Urban piped water systems suffer from an average loss of 37% due to leakages and illegal off-takes, costing an estimated R7.2 billion per annum.
• Water quality has significantly deteriorated over the last 20 years, driven by poorly treated sewage, acid mine drainage (AMD), and agricultural runoff. Phosphates from fertilisers and sewage are particularly damaging as they cause eutrophication and toxic algal blooms.
• 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. In 1994, 15.9 million South Africans lacked access to safe water supplies.
• The report advocates for a shift toward groundwater and 'water banking' via managed aquifer recharge to buffer against droughts, as aquifers are not subject to the evaporation losses seen in surface dams.
• The private sector increasingly views water as a material risk to business continuity. 83% of JSE-listed companies responding to the Water Disclosure Project reported that their direct operations are exposed to water-related risks.

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} }