Declaration
Chapter 6. Conclusions and Recommendations
have been more effective in a study of that nature. However, the nature of this study did not facilitate the use of a large data set.
There are numerous other water quality parameters that need to be addressed, as this will help provide further insights into the water quality issues within the DMA. In addition, the introduction of new sample points inland would be able to provide water quality information for those areas not investigated in this study. Although there appears to be regular monitoring of the rivers of the DMA, by the authorities, there has been little attempt in the formation of a structure to deal with the land use issues, which directly impact on water quality. Issues such as poor sanitation facilities and agricultural practices, which are fundamentally the points of production of pollution are great contributing factors.
Water quality has been impacted by human activity and land use and as such these should be the focus towards an improvement of water quality. To this end it is envisaged that the approach of an integrated catchment management framework be instituted. This framework takes on a systems approach to the management of water resources, recognizing the fact that in order to improve the quality of water the catchment in which it is located also needs to be managed.
Within the DMA a suggested mechanism is the facilitation and development of a catchment management plan. Management actions must be focused on land, to constrain the impacts of land-based activities on water resources, as well as on the water itself, to ensure adequate storage, distribution and rehabilitation where necessary. All stakeholders should participate in the debate around preferred sequences of actions and their consequences. The selected series of management actions should then be documented as a catchment management plan, which will require formal approval by the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry. Responsibility for implementation of the catchment management plan would normally rest with a legally constituted catchment authority that represents the interests of all stakeholders (DWAF, 1996a).
Whilst a formal catchment management plan is a prerequisite for effective water resource management on a catchment basis, the mere existence of formal documentation is insufficient. An effective catchment management plan must address the typical management aspects of: planning, co-ordination, implementation or operation, and monitoring, as well as control and auditing of the management process, plus feedback to stakeholders (DWAF, 1996a).
For management to be effective and successful, it must set out agreed policies and strategies, provide leadership to all participants, define roles and responsibilities, be able to communicate effectively with all participants, and be able to mobilize sufficient human, technical and financial resources to undertake the tasks at hand. In the context of water resource management, the management dimension requires a particularly broad-based appreciation of the need to attain a balance between protection of the water resource and meeting the varied needs of stakeholders (DWAF, 1996a).
As such a catchment management plan should be drawn up for each catchment and a committee formed by interested and affected parties, should ensure that the water quality is maintained to meet the requirements of all its users within the DMA. There should be stringent enforcement of water quality guidelines especially for industry and others involved in the discharge of effluents.
An ICM attempts the management of all the components of the catchment and as such, management of both land and water are included. It has been suggested that landuse factors contribute greatly to poor water quality, and in this light management actions should focus on land, to constrain the impacts of land-based activities on the receiving waters.
In addition to the provision of essential services to the community, some attempt should also be made in the form of education programmes aimed specifically at promoting sustainable practices within the catchment, such as for agriculture.
However, such an ICM plan requires the coordinated action at catchment level. Key players that need to get involved include national and local government, but most importantly local communities, water and land users, including industry and other
such sectors. This will attempt to alleviate the water quality problems that the DMA is faced with.
This study used maps, diagrams and tables to analyse and present the results. Given the scope of the study, it was not possible to use sophisticated GIS techniques.
Further studies could be aimed at using Digital Elevation Models to determine catchment areas of (selected) sampling points. These catchment areas could then be intersected with the slope and land use coverages in order to determine statistical parameters (e.g. average and standard deviation of steepness and percentage of land use composition). This data could then be used to statistically relate it to the average water quality measurements at the sampling points.
The findings of this study have highlighted the intensity of the water quality problem in the DMA. Although it has attempted to provide an overview of water quality, and has in some ways failed to provide details with regards to the sources of pollution, it points to the development of a series of catchment management plans as the mechanism towards an improvement in overall water quality in the DMA.