Water Security and South Africa

In whose interests? Water risk mitigation strategies practiced by the fruit industry in South Africa’s Western Cape

“…We can trace the formation of many of these local water organisations back to the country's apartheid legacy. White farmers not only received preferential access to land and water resources but also subsidies and soft loans to build local reservoirs and irrigation infrastructure (Steyn et al, 2019). It is around these projects that IBs were formed and they exclusively served white farmers' interests.…”

“…As one of its key constituents, white commercial farmers enjoyed wide-ranging support from the apartheid government, who designed water legislation and regulation in such a way as to ensure producers' water security (Mackay, 2003). When South Africa transitioned to democracy in 1994, the new government became an unreliable partner in terms of water security (Steyn et al, 2019). While democracy meant losing considerable privileges around water, most notably the abolition of private and riparian water rights, it did not render commercial agriculture powerless or leave them without influence.…”

Identifying behavioural patterns of coupled water‐agriculture systems using system archetypes

“…The 2014–2018 drought catalysed a national conversation in South Africa regarding water security and enabled policy debate regarding water management and agricultural development in South Africa (Donnenfeld, Crookes, & Hedden, 2018). The drought also highlighted existing vulnerabilities that exist in South Africa's water system, the dependence of agricultural development on water resources management and properly frame the magnitude of the challenge of ensuring water security for the country (Otto et al, 2018; Steyn, Meissner, Nortje, & Petersen, 2019). Given the dependence of agricultural growth on water resources, the agricultural sector was one of the sectors most affected by the drought.…”

Exploring the reception of global health campaigns at a local level: a study of the WHO #SafeHands handwashing social media campaign for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Twitter.

“…Water security refers to a country's availability of water resources that directly impacts its sustainability and economic development (Steyn et al, 2019). Water security not only refers to the access to water, but also to the government's responsibility to provide protection from any water-related incidents, such as water-related diseases or water pollution (Steyn et al, 2019). Water insecurity is plainly the absence of water or occurrence of a draught (Steyn et al, 2019).…”

“…Water security not only refers to the access to water, but also to the government's responsibility to provide protection from any water-related incidents, such as water-related diseases or water pollution (Steyn et al, 2019). Water insecurity is plainly the absence of water or occurrence of a draught (Steyn et al, 2019).…”