An introduction to South Africa’s Water Source Areas

This 2013 report by WWF South Africa identifies and describes the country's Water Source Areas (WSAs), highlighting that a small fraction of land provides the majority of the nation's surface water. It emphasizes the interdependence between engineered water infrastructure and the ecological infrastructure (catchments, rivers, and aquifers) that feeds it, while detailing the threats facing these critical regions.

• A very small portion of South Africa's land is responsible for a disproportionate amount of its water supply; specifically, 8% of the land area generates more than 50% of the country's surface run-off.
• South Africa's freshwater ecosystems are under significant stress, with 60% of river ecosystems and 65% of wetland types classified as threatened. Furthermore, 23% of river ecosystems and 48% of wetland types are considered critically endangered.
• The report identifies 21 Water Source Areas (WSAs), 16 of which are designated as 'strategic' because they form the headwaters of major river systems that support the national economy and food security. Only 16% of all WSAs are formally protected as parks or nature reserves.
• Water security is threatened by several factors: alien invasive plants are estimated to cause a loss of 7% of available water resources, while coal mining leads to acid mine drainage (AMD) that poisons rivers and affects human and livestock health.
• The Maloti Drakensberg is identified as the most critical water source area in the country, producing approximately 25% of available water and supporting nearly 50% of South Africa's GDP.
• South Africa faces severe water scarcity and infrastructure challenges, with rainfall being half the global average (490mm p.a.) and an estimated R680 billion required to upgrade and maintain engineered water infrastructure over the next decade.

APA

WWF South Africa (2013). An introduction to South Africa’s Water Source Areas. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sa_watersource_area10_lo.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. An introduction to South Africa’s Water Source Areas. 2013. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sa_watersource_area10_lo.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=An introduction to South Africa’s Water Source Areas |date=2013 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sa_watersource_area10_lo.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2013introduction, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{An introduction to South Africa’s Water Source Areas}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2013}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sa_watersource_area10_lo.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }