I will be eternally grateful to the Breede River farming community for their willingness to participate in the study. Agriculture in the Breede River catchment contributes significantly to international exports and the economy of the Western Cape Province. 56 Table 3-5: Risk matrix of the risks posed by the decline in water quality in Breede.
INTRODUCTION
- Background
- Water stress
- Water quality overview
- Local perspectives on water use and quality
- Problem statement and rationale for the study
- Research aim and objectives
- Scope of the research
- Brief overview of the research methodology
- Assumptions and limitations
- Structure and outline of the dissertation
Previous studies have shown that water quality in the Breede River catchment has been declining (DWAF, 2003; WCG, 2017; Cullis et al., 2018). The purpose of the study is to examine the main drivers and risks associated with the decline in water quality for the agricultural sector in the Breede River catchment. To identify the main causes of the decline in water quality in the agricultural sector in the Breede River catchment; and.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The global perspective on sustainable development and water management as well as the local legislation regarding sustainable water management, institutional arrangements related to water management in the study area, water use with a focus on agriculture and the link between water quality and economic growth are explored. . Furthermore, the impact of natural factors as well as anthropogenic activities on water quality is discussed in this chapter. This discussion forms the basis for the later discussion on water quality as well as key drivers and risks associated with the decline in water quality and its impact on the agricultural sector in the Breede Å catchment.
Sustainable development in water management
This chapter contains a literature review, with an emphasis on the available literature relevant to the study. Sustainable development therefore depends on the perspective of the viewer. For example, for anyone who promotes economic growth, the emphasis of sustainable development would be primarily on economic growth value. The legislation and approach to water management in South Africa will be examined in the following sections.
Legislative and statutory provisions relating to water management in South
South Africa's constitution provides that the national government is the manager of the country's water resources. The transformation of South African water resource management in the context of IWRM enables citizen participation (Boyd & Thompkins, 2011; Claassen, 2013; Meissner et al., 2016). Accordingly, the emphasis of the NWA is on decentralization and public participation in decisions made regarding the management of water resources (Meissner et al., 2016).
Water management in the study area
The Board was appointed and reports to the Minister of Water and Sanitation (DWS) (BGCMA, 2019). BGCMA's coordinating and regulatory role requires a close collaborative relationship with DWS, primarily through the DWS Regional Office, but also with important line functions of the National Office (BGCMA, 2019). Give effect to the key principles of the NWA including the implementation of IWRM at the local scale (DWAF, 2013). Middle Breede River section from Brandvlei Dam spillway to Robertson and Swellendam (H3-5);.
Water institutional arrangements in the study area
It implements initiatives that seek to address the challenge of water security and environmental sustainability in the Western Cape. CWDM (Municipal Health Services) works with BGCMA on strategic planning, monitoring and improvement projects in the Breede River. Each of the stakeholders has a different reason for being involved in different areas in the watershed.
Water use in the study area
Other dams used for irrigation include Theewaterskloof, Lakenvlei, Keerom and Elandskloof in different parts of the catchment (BOCMA, 2010). The tourism industry uses the Breede River for a variety of recreational purposes, including camping, fishing and water sports, but contributed only 14% to the region's economy. However, it is expected to become a more important part of the region's economy in the future (DWAF, 2003d).
Agriculture in the Breede River catchment
- Agricultural economy in the study area
- Important water quality indicators
- Total dissolved solids (TDS)
- Electrical Conductivity (EC)
- pH
- Nutrients
- Sulphate (SO 4 )
- Fluoride (F)
- Chloride (Cl)
- Sodium (Na)
- Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)
- Bicarbonate and carbonate (HCO 3 )
- Other elements
- Microbiological parameters
- Resource Quality Objectives (RQO)
- Water quality monitoring
- Background on water quality in the Breede River catchment
- Influence of geology on water quality
- Influence of agriculture on water quality
- Influence of domestic effluent on water quality
- Influence of climate change on water quality
Agriculture in the Breede River Basin contributes significantly to international exports and the economy of the Western Cape (Cullis et al., 2018; Western Cape Government, 2018). The influences of the factors emphasized here on water quality are discussed in the next section. However, Kirchner et al., (1997) ruled out that groundwater is an important contributor to the higher surface water salinities in the BGWMA.
Agricultural water requirements in the study area
- Cost of pollution to agriculture
For example, many vineyards and fruit trees have been removed due to concerns about water availability in the watershed (WWF, 2018). The water needs for agriculture and the possible consequences of poor water quality for agriculture are discussed in the next section. Failure to comply with European water quality standards for irrigation could lead to exclusion from the global agricultural market.
Conclusion
In addition, potential losses due to restrictions on international markets due to the poor quality of irrigation water can be extremely costly for the agricultural sector (Schachtschneider, 2016; Culllis et al., 2018). The impact is significant, as about half of the deciduous fruit and table grapes grown in the Breede River basin are exported (WCG, 2017; Culllis et al., 2018). The perception of polluted irrigation water (i.e. negative media coverage), even without validity, could result in a drop in crop value, largely due to the loss of the export market (WCG, 2017).
The potential economic impact of perceptions has been highlighted by du Plessis and Korsten (2015), who showed that the impact of a recent outbreak of foodborne illness that mistakenly implicated Spanish cucumbers and tomatoes caused Spanish farmers €225 million in weekly losses. The risk to the agricultural sector of losing a market due to perceived or potentially poor water quality goes beyond the farm, however, as it can affect the labor market and ultimately the economy of urban areas in the catchment (Schachtschneider, 2016; Culllis et. al., 2018). The potential health, reputation, and market impacts of pathogen contamination in irrigation water, inadequate treatment of wastewater discharged into rivers, and runoff from underserved, low-income urban areas could be severe on the regional economy (Cullis et al., 2018).
The social and economic consequences of continued non-compliance by municipal wastewater treatment plants can therefore be far-reaching (Cullis et al also warned that the growing tourism industry along the Breede River could be adversely affected by declining water quality. Previous studies have shown specific water quality parameters that have been linked to impacts on agriculture (including yield and crop quality) were unpacked.This chapter formed the basis of the research methodology, including the water quality parameters to focus on and the guiding questions in the questionnaires.
This chapter also assisted in the discussion of findings including the water quality, identification of key factors and risks associated with the decline in water quality and its impact on the agricultural sector in the Breede River catchment.
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Research design
Literature review
Data collection
- Quantitative: Water quality data
- Qualitative: Interviews
Data analysis
- Description of water quality data
- Description of interview data
Ethical considerations
Methodological assumptions and limitations
Chapter summary
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
The previous chapter elaborated extensively on the methodology followed for this study. The aim of Chapter 4 is to achieve Research Objective 1 by re-evaluating the water quality data from the study area (Upper, Middle and Lower Breede River section of BGWMA) through the interpretation of water quality data from existing chemical and microbiological water quality. databases, identification of potential sources of contamination and assessment of water suitability for relevant water uses such as irrigation, livestock watering and domestic use on farms. The qualitative and quantitative data collected during the interviews were used to identify and interpret the main causes of the deterioration of water quality (Research Objective 2) and the risks of declining water quality (Research Objective 3) for the agricultural activities in the study area . .
Data presentation and discussion are therefore linked to the research objectives and presented in three main sections: (a) water quality reassessment; (b) interpretation of interview data; and (c) linking results to link qualitative and quantitative results. The interpretation of the interview data was addressed in five main sections of the questionnaire: participating organization (Section A), background of irrigation practices (Section B), water quality (Section C), key factors (Section D) and induced risks. with declining water quality for agricultural activities in the area under consideration (Section E).
Water quality re-evaluation (Research Objective 1)
- Changes in water quality over time
- Evaluation of hydrogeochemical characteristics
- Evaluation of water chemistry
- Evaluation of microbiological characteristics
- Water quality index
The highest pH values occurred in the Upper Breede River section, regularly exceeding nine (9) (Appendix F). Midgley and Schafer (1992) showed that acid colored (tea colored) water in the Western Cape is related to leaching of water by undecomposed fynbos and forest plants and is usually indicative of the amount of dissolved organic matter (such as humic and fulvic acid). acids) in the water. The tributaries (the rivers Hex, Nuy and Kogmanskloof) in the Middle Breede River section fall within the high Na group.
Na TWRQ concentrations for irrigation purposes are exceeded 50% of the time in the lower part of the Middle Breede River section (Figure 4-6 and graphs in Appendix F). Na concentrations in the lower Middle Breede River section have deteriorated over time. The tributaries (the rivers Hex, Nuy and Kogmanskloof) in the Middle Breede River section fall within the high Cl group.
The water quality in the upper part of the Middle Breede River section was classified as good with tributaries classified as unsuitable. The water quality compliance for selected water quality parameters (pH, EC, NO3+NO2, PO4) for the DWS long-term dataset (1970 and 2018) was used to evaluate the suitability of the water in the Breede River catchment for irrigation purposes. The robot type coding was used to indicate the suitability of the water in the Breede River catchment over time (ideal (blue), acceptable (green), tolerable (yellow) or unacceptable (red).
The lower reaches of the main stream in the Middle Breede section of the river have improved over time from acceptable to acceptable or ideal.
Results from questionnaire (quantitative and qualitative) analysis
- Section A: Participant organisation
- Highest level of qualification (QA1E/QA1F)
- Occupational field and working experience (QA2E/QA2F and QA3E/QA3F)
- Agricultural sector(s) (QA4F)
- Section B: Background on irrigation practices
- Water for irrigation purposes
- Crops under irrigation
- Section C: Water quality
- Water quality management
- Water quality concern/ challenge
- Origin/ source(s) which influence the water quality (QC8E/QC7F)
- Availability of water in the Breede River catchment (QC11E/QC11F)
- Management actions (QC12E/QC12F)
- Section D: Key drivers of water quality decline in the Breede River
- Key drivers of the water quality in the Breede River (QD1E/QD1F)
- Geology and soil as drivers of water quality (QD7E/QD7F)
- Climate as drivers of water quality (QD6E/QD6F)
- Anthropogenic: domestic activities as drivers of water quality (QD5E/QD5F) . 130
- Industrial developments as drivers of water quality (QD4E/QD4F)
- Cooperative governance as drivers of water quality (QD8E/QD8F)
- Section E: Key risks posed by the water quality in the Breede River
- Risk of impact of water quality on agricultural activities (QE2E/QE2F)
- Risk of water quality impact on the quality of the crops/ products (QE4F)
- Risk of impact of on agricultural activities
- Financial risk to agricultural activities (QE4E/QE5F)
- Risks to sustainability of agriculture (QE5E/QE6F)
- Risk of impact on the economic growth of the areas along the Breede River
- Risk of impacts on socio-economic development and community resilience/
- Risk of impact on environmental sustainability of the Breede River
- Effectiveness of actions taken to minimise the impact caused by the decline
In the expert group, the majority of participants (85%) have a tertiary education in a science and engineering discipline, including a diploma in public health (8%) and civil engineering (8%). This section was structured according to the questionnaire's section C, which focused on the collected information related to the understanding of the water quality in the Breedeå catchment. When asked to rate water quality in the Breede River catchment since the year 2000, the majority of farmers (60%) indicated that water quality has declined over the past 20 years (QC6E/QC6F) (Figure 4-32 and Figure 4 -33 ).
Participants were asked to rank the most dominant water quality factors in the Breede River. The first specific driver question in Section D (QD7E/QD7F) aimed at identifying the influence of underlying geology and soils on water quality in the Breede River catchment. Farmers were asked to express their views on the impact of climate on water quality in the Breede River catchment.
The risk posed by water quality to agricultural activities was related to the potential impact on the market for crops grown in the Breede River catchment. Therefore, there is a moderate risk of water quality having an impact on economic growth in the Breede River watershed. The identified drivers of water quality in the Breede River were primarily associated with negative impacts on water quality.
Most Farmers and Experts indicated that the geology/soil would have a slight negative impact to no impact on water quality in the Breede River watershed. However, farmers and experts indicated that climate currently has only a slight or no negative impact on water quality in the Breede River catchment. The identified water quality risks in the Breede River were mainly related to negative water quality impacts.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
Summary of main findings and conclusions
Contributions and recommendations for future research and practice
MICROBIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY DATA
