Water

Water is now regarded as the highest global risk in terms of devastation, ahead of nuclear war or a global health pandemic.  South Africa, the 30th driest country in the world, not only experiences extreme climate and rainfall fluctuations, but has an average annual rainfall which is half the global average. This rainfall is unevenly distributed across a country which currently has access to surface water (77% of total use), groundwater (9% of total use) and re-cycled water (14% of total use).

Water is not only a crucial component for food production, but is also integral to the country’s industrial, mining and power generation sectors, which uses 10% of its freshwater, while contributing close to 40% to the country’s total GDP. Agriculture, on the other hand, accounts for 15% of GDP and uses 60% of the available water supply. The industrial sector, which contributes 29% towards GDP, uses 11% of the country’s water.  It is predicted that during the next five years, there will be significant growth in the water infrastructure, waste-water treatment, desalination and water recycling sectors. This will become particularly prevalent as the debilitating effects of climate change become more pronounced resulting in widespread changes to the global water industry. Consequently, the business community, municipalities and utilities will be required to invest significantly in water technologies and infrastructure. Similarly, smart water meters will replace existing equipment while huge investment will be required in water infrastructure, inclusive of pumps, pipes, valves, irrigation equipment, filtration and membrane technology. While a country-wide increase in rainwater and grey water harvesting is predicted, another area of possible investment will be in waste-water treatment plants which are in every municipality across the province and which may be retrofitted to produce energy. In effect, following global best practice, they will become energy factories.

South Africa’s rainfall has always been variable and unpredictable, thus posing grave risks to rain fed agriculture and for reliable supplies to reach urban and industrial water users, there needs to be sufficient investment in storage infrastructure. However, this infrastructure must be cognisant of the ever-changing climate. The country needs significant policy shifts to address both the seriousness of water conservation,  as well as the increasing demand for water.