ThechallengesofwaterresourcesmanagementinSouth.docVIP

The challenges of water resources management in South Africa Keynote address: SANCIAHS Conference B.Schreiner, Chief Director: Water Use and Conservation, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Cape Town, 29 November 1999 Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a great pleasure to be here today – although the pleasure is slightly detracted from by the fact that I am unable to stay after lunch today – I have to catch a plane back to Gauteng – there is no peace for the wicked, or for bureaucrats! Let me begin by saying that I think we stand at a very exciting moment in the history of water management in South Africa – the challenges that face us are enormous – as people involved in the water sector, as managers, scientists, engineers, even as bureaucrats, we must harness all our creativity and energy to ensure sustainable water use now, and in the future. What I find exciting at the moment is that I see that very creativity being harnessed, I see a number of people, and organisations, coming up with innovative, inventive approaches to the problems that we face. I see government officials, consultants, NGO staff and ordinary citizens excited by what the National Water Act has to offer. At the same time, the collapse of apartheid has allowed us back into the international arena, and we are able to learn from international experience, international best practice, international thinking, and adapt it to our needs here, in South and Southern Africa. It is also exciting that international arena is not only the developed world, but the developing world as well. We are, for example, continually improving our links with our neighbouring states – including, for example, in the field of water conservation and demand management. We are able to share our experience with them, but also to learn a considerable amount from their experience. We share a number of problems with our neighbouring states. Availability of good quality water is one of them; provision of good quality water to citizens