• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Africa faces great challenges when it comes to water with sub-Saharan Africa achieving an implementation level of just 46% in its degree of integrated water resources management. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Children bear brunt of Africa’s water crisis

1st April 2021
Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

11th August 2022
Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

11th August 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Thanks to Netafim’s innovative solutions, drip irrigation is within reach of small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied

Yes, precision irrigation is possible on a budget

11th August 2022
There's been a major breakthrough with South African citrus containers that have been contained at European ports. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

11th August 2022
Willem Booise (left) is a trustee and has won the industry’s Specialist Agricultural Worker of the Year award in 2018. Photo: Supplied/Hortgro

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

11th August 2022
Many people love avocados, but did you know that the introduction of just one of these fruits per day can improve the overall quality of your diet? Photo: Pixabay

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

10th August 2022
Davidzo Chizhengeni, animal scientist, founder of KvD livestock, Ika Cronje, farmer and participant in the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme, Vuyokazi Makapela, a Director at Afrivet, and permaculture farmer, Stephanie Mullins. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

10th August 2022
Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

11th August 2022
The value of South Africa’s informal farming sector is understated, experts say, and many farmers say that they prefer trading to this segment of the economy. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

New farmer? Informal markets ‘the way to go’

10th August 2022
Gauteng police recovered and confiscated sheep and goats in Sedibeng this week. Photo: Supplied/SAPS

ICYMI: Police recover stolen livestock

10th August 2022
Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

11th August 2022
Setting up a regenerative smallholding

Setting up a regenerative smallholding

9th August 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Claire and Martin Joubert have sacrificed and struggled to become top breeders of Ankole cattle in South Africa. But giving up was never an option, because they wanted to offer only the very best Ankole genetics in the country. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farming couple lives and breathes Ankole cattle

    Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Once struggling farm now a family heirloom

    Optimal yields now at farmers’ finger tips

    Some of the children with the ECD practitioner Yolanda Shabalala. Zero2Five Trust promotes holistic Early Childhood Development in formerly disadvantaged areas by improving learners’ health and education outcomes with nutrition and education programmes. Photo: Supplied/Zero2Five Trust

    Zero2Five: Giving hope to KZN flood victims

    Agripreneur 101: Kupisa Sauce is going places

    Agripreneur 101: Kupisa Sauce is going places

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Children bear brunt of Africa’s water crisis

by Sinesipho Tom
1st April 2021
in News
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
Africa faces great challenges when it comes to water with sub-Saharan Africa achieving an implementation level of just 46% in its degree of integrated water resources management. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Africa faces great challenges when it comes to water with sub-Saharan Africa achieving an implementation level of just 46% in its degree of integrated water resources management. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Sub-Saharan Africa has achieved an implementation level of just 46% in its degree of integrated water resources management.

Water experts indicate that integrated water resources management is a process which promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land and related resources.

This is done in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.

Shocking realities in sub-Saharan Africa

Avril Owens, SRK Consulting principal scientist. Photo: Supplied/Jeremy Glyn
Avril Owens, SRK Consulting principal scientist. Photo: Supplied/Jeremy Glyn

Speaking at a SRK Consulting webinar this week on “Water for the Future: An African Perspective”, principal scientist Avril Owens illustrated the dire position Africa is in when it comes to water availability and safety.

ADVERTISEMENT

ALSO READ: Gauteng’s water crisis now threatens food sustainability

Owens says in many African countries more than 50% of people are without access to basic water supply which is a barrier to hand-washing and hygiene.

One in three people don’t have access to clean or safe water and 115 people die per hour in sub-Saharan Africa from diseases caused by poor sanitation, hygiene and contaminated water.

Owens also explained that often women need to walk 6km daily to find water and carry 18kg of water and that 1 in 4 people spend more than half and hour per trip to collect water. 

She explained that the lack of clean water contributes to high rates of diseases and deaths in mothers and new-borns. Every minute a child dies from a water-related disease and more than 315 000 children in Africa die every year from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

She explains that our water challenges are caused by drought, climate change, landslides, coastal floods, leaks, pollution, poor storm water management and collectively all these constraints place huge economic pressure on counties in the region as a whole and it disrupts export revenue.

To solve these enormous and complex water challenges, Owens highlighted the value of an integrated approach based on understanding strategic linkages and applying systemic planning.

The company’s experience around Africa has given it valuable insights into how best to plan and implement successful water-related interventions.

“A vital first step is to take a strategic perspective, which helps to achieve water management goals regardless of the scale at which you are operating,” said Owens. “This would apply as much to high-level trans-boundary catchment issues as it would at project-specific level.”

Workings towards AU Agenda 2063

She outlined how SRK Consulting navigated the complex web of global, regional, and national goals, policies and laws that influence water management planning. At continental level, for instance, is the African Water Vision 2025 of the African Union (AU), while the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals applied at global level.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Along with international treaties, conventions and agreements, these frameworks provide guidance for any water management plan,” she said.

“These international legal obligations also inform national water laws and guide each country’s regulatory authorities on how to apply their laws and regulations – such as through licensing and permits.”

She highlighted the AU Agenda 2063’s intention to harmonise sustainability efforts across Africa, while the African Water Vision focuses on improved water management – including the achievement of access to safe and adequate water supply and sanitation.

“The AU Agenda is Africa taking control of its own destiny, by informing a framework of action which has milestones to be achieved by adequate planning and funding,” said Owens. “The framework and milestones are implemented by a range of structures including national ministries, institutes and local authorities – tasked with generating polices and strategic plans.”

This provides the foundation for projects to pursue the involvement of financial institutions such as the World Bank and African Development Bank, funders such as the Global Environment Facility and the Southern African Development Community Water Fund, and development agencies like the United National Development Programme and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

“An integrated approach to water management ensures that the project design is well-rooted in the strategic framework, so that it links firmly with the aims of the funders,” she said.F

This paves the way for developing actions and targets based on modelling, data analysis and results – with responsibilities and timeframes clearly assigned. She emphasised the importance of a diverse and multi-disciplinary team.

“The team must provide insights on the various challenges facing any water project, addressing these with their respective expertise,” she said. “This will include social scientists, natural scientists, engineers and planners – to cover all the bases for a robust, practical and successful plan.”

Its work will involve data gathering and research into comparable case studies, to identify gaps in information that will need to be filled by on-site investigations. The team will generate the necessary methodology, undertaking studies such as a hydro-census, an aquatic ecological assessment, a hydrological or hydrogeological investigation, or community surveys.

“For data analytics, SRK has a dedicated team who use the latest software for analysing data,” she said. “Our specialists conduct modelling and interpretation to feed into the integrated efforts of the project team.”

These resources allow plans to be practically formulated, efficiently implemented and carefully monitored for any possible improvements. The webinar included input by a range of SRK professionals with insights into effective project management, the power of digital technology, and the importance of stakeholder engagement.

ALSO READ: Farmers welcome water licenses fast-tracking

Previous Post

Easter fish prices: The untold story of ‘fish auctioneers’

Next Post

Recipe: Make Scotch fillet and Pesachdikke cake

Sinesipho Tom

Sinesipho Tom

Sinesipho Tom is an audience engagement journalist at Food for Mzansi. Before joining the team, she worked in financial and business news at Media24. She has an appetite for news reporting and has written articles for Business Insider, Fin24 and Parent 24. If you could describe Sinesipho in a sentence you would say that she is a small-town girl with big, big dreams.

Related Posts

Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

by Duncan Masiwa
11th August 2022
0

As Agri SA’s executive director, Christo van der Rheede has managed to gain great admiration from farmers and agricultural organisations....

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

by Noluthando Ngcakani
11th August 2022
0

Amidst load shedding, rising fuel costs and the weather playing havoc in Mzansi, olive producers are smiling after achieving a...

Thanks to Netafim’s innovative solutions, drip irrigation is within reach of small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied

Yes, precision irrigation is possible on a budget

by Staff Reporter
11th August 2022
0

Can small-scale farmers reap the benefits of precision irrigation? Absolutely yes! says Zambia-based agricultural engineer and Netafim technical advisor Nambwale...

There's been a major breakthrough with South African citrus containers that have been contained at European ports. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

by Duncan Masiwa
11th August 2022
0

South Africa has managed to secure a major breakthrough for local citrus exporters. Thanks to high-level government intervention, tonnes of...

Next Post
passover

Recipe: Make Scotch fillet and Pesachdikke cake

There's been a major breakthrough with South African citrus containers that have been contained at European ports. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
News

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

by Duncan Masiwa
11th August 2022
0

South Africa has managed to secure a major breakthrough for local citrus exporters. Thanks to high-level government intervention, tonnes of...

Read more
Willem Booise (left) is a trustee and has won the industry’s Specialist Agricultural Worker of the Year award in 2018. Photo: Supplied/Hortgro

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

11th August 2022
Many people love avocados, but did you know that the introduction of just one of these fruits per day can improve the overall quality of your diet? Photo: Pixabay

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

10th August 2022
Davidzo Chizhengeni, animal scientist, founder of KvD livestock, Ika Cronje, farmer and participant in the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme, Vuyokazi Makapela, a Director at Afrivet, and permaculture farmer, Stephanie Mullins. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

10th August 2022
Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

11th August 2022

Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

60m. mouths to feed: ‘We’ve got you, Mzansi’

Podcast: Level up your farm with carbon credits

Farmer 101: Exploring alternative energy fixes

This week’s agriculture events: 08 to 12 August 2022

Women farmers bolster Tiger Brands value chain

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Yes, precision irrigation is possible on a budget

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.