CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.3 Results from questionnaire (quantitative and qualitative) analysis
4.3.5 Section E: Key risks posed by the water quality in the Breede River
4.3.5.3 Risk of impact of on agricultural activities
145
yield and crop quality is dependent on the crop type and the sensitivity of the crop to saline conditions in the soil. Grapevines were identified as sensitive to soil salinity (Moolman, 1999).
146
The majority of Farmers did not agree that water availability had an impact on the agricultural activities in 2000, with 33% indicating that there was no impact and 47% suggesting that there were only minor negative impacts (Figure 4-45).
Figure 4-45: Distribution of Farmer’s opinion of the impact water availability has on agricultural activities (QE3E/QE3F).
However, Farmers agreed that a more substantial impact is expected into the future (beyond 2020), with 47% suggesting a minor and 40% a major negative impact (Table 4-10 and Table 4-11). However, the Experts group were less optimistic with 69% agreeing that water availability had a negative impact on the agricultural activities in 2000 as well as beyond 2020 (Table 4-10 and Table 4-11).
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
A. Major positive impact
B. Minor positive impact
C. No impact D. Minor negative impact
E. Major negative impact
% participants
Impact of water availability on agricultural activities
2000 2020
147
Table 4-10: Summary of opinion on the key risks of the decline in water availability in 2000(QE3E/QE3F).
Major positive impact
Minor positive
impact No impact
Minor negative
impact
Major negative impact
Risk to agricultural activities
Farmers 0 1 5 7 2
Experts 2 0 9 2 0
Table 4-11: Summary of opinion of interviewees on the key risks of the perceived decline in water availability in the Breede River catchment in 2020 and beyond (QE3E/QE3F).
Major positive impact
Minor positive
impact No impact
Minor negative
impact
Major negative impact
Risk to agricultural activities
Farmers 0 0 2 7 6
Experts 2 0 9 2 0
Up to 15% of Experts opined that water availability in the Breede River catchment will have no impact on agricultural activities with a further 15% expressing that water availability would have a positive impact. The positive impact was linked to water availability improvement due to the removal of alien vegetation in the floodplains.
The participants were also asked in an open-ended question to elaborate on their opinion on the impact water quality has on agricultural activities in the Breede River catchment. The thematic analysis of their responses yielded the following themes:
Growth in agriculture;
Irrigation type adaptation;
Seasonality;
Crop type;
Locality;
Link with water quality; and
148
Solutions.
Farmers were concerned that plans to increase the storage capacity of the Brandvlei Dam has not materialised yet, but that additional water users are being added, thereby increasing the likelihood of a situation where water allocations to existing farms will be affected more often.
Permitting more water than what is available in the catchment is seen as a risk in over utilisation of the water resources in the catchment. Although Farmers in the Middle and Upper Breede River sections all indicated that they use less water to irrigate larger areas due to the change to micro and drip irrigation systems, they were not prepared to give-up their allocated volume. Farmers also highlighted the fact that adaptations to irrigation practices to more efficient techniques lowered the risk. The risk is also linked to the crop type as irrigation requirements differed as indicated in the comment: “Not seen as a major risk as the availability of water during the early to mid-summer when irrigation is required for grapes are not generally at risk“(F6), “If less water the risk to some crops irrigated with higher salt content water may influence the agricultural activities, but wine grapes are relatively resistant to salts” (F5).
Most Farmers were of the opinion that they would rather build more storage dams on the farm to hold the portion of their allocated water not utilised for the year than to give-up any portion of their allocated water. This notion was generally linked to droughts and uncertainty of how climate change will affect the water regime in the catchment in the future. The risk posed to agricultural activities by a decline in water availability is mainly linked to the impact it would have on crop yield. The minimum irrigation water volume required by each crop for optimal yield has been established. The likelihood of a decline in the availability of water having an impact on agricultural activities was therefore considered to be high and the consequences of this happening also considered significant. Farmers were concerned with the fact that new agricultural developments, mainly in the Middle but also some in the Upper Breede River sections, were approved with no additional water being added to the already allocated volume available in the catchment. This concern was highlighted in comments: “Has become more of a risk as new players require a portion of the water used for irrigation from the Greater-Brandvlei irrigation or current Farmers expand operations demanding a larger portion of the available water” (F4), “Developing Farmers will need access in future as well” (F4). Availability of water is also linked to sustainability as was evident from the comments: “As a minimum volume of water is required to irrigate the crops, a minimum ha of crop is required to farm; if less allocated then will not be able to survive” (F7) and
“All water available in the catchment has been allocated to existing farms, can only expand on agriculture if the available water is increased” (F9).
149