IT’S WAY TOO SOON TO PANIC!!!!

DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR WATER ALLOCATIONS THE FRAMEWORK WILL HELP PROMOTE THE BENEFICIAL USE OF WATER IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

WHY DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK? National Water Policy for SA; NWA preamble; s2(b,c,d,e); s3(2); s9(e,h); s27; s43-48 1) TO PROMOTE REDRESS (RACE & GENDER) 2) TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT 3) TO SUPPORT POVERTY ERADICATION & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROWTH 4) TO ENSURE RESOURCE PROTECTION IN BALANCE WITH EQUITY AND GROWTH

WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING CONSIDERATIONS? THE WAY WE ALLOCATE WATER CAN HAVE SEVERE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES. 2) WHERE WE MUST RE-ALLOCATE WATER – MINIMISE THE IMPACTS ON THE ECONOMY (beneficial use in public interest) 3) WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT “ NEW ” & EXISTING USERS HAVE THE CAPACITY TO USE THE WATER PRODUCTIVELY AND RESPONSIBLY 4) WE MUST SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT – BUT IN AN ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE WAY

FROM THIS WE DISTILL “BENEFICIAL USE OF WATER IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST” AS:- WATER ALLOCATION MUST PROMOTE: ECONOMIC GROWTH & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT JOB CREATION EQUITABLE ACCESS TO WATER SOCIAL STABILITY INVESTOR CONFIDENCE PROTECTION OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS EFFICIENT AND NON-WASTEFUL USE OF WATER A BALANCE BETWEEN SECTORS

HOW DO YOU PROMOTE BENEFICIAL USE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST? PROMOTE APPLICATIONS FROM, AND AUTHORISATIONS TO, DISADVANTAGED USERS COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE CAPACITY BUILDING TO SUPPORT PRODUCTIVE USES CAPACITY BUILDING TO SUPPORT PRODUCTIVE USES FACILITITATING AUTHORISATIONS WITH A HIGH PUBLIC INTEREST PROMOTING BEE AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES

WATER ALLOCATIONS AND REALLOCATIONS MUST BE FAIR AND REASONABLE. MINIMISE THE IMPACTS ON THE EXISTING LAWFUL USERS PROMOTE THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BENEFITS OF PRODUCTIVE WATER USE

MUST PROMOTE BENEFICIAL, PRODUCTIVE AND EFFICIENT USE. SUPPORT LIVELIHOODS BUT NOT SUSTAINABLE POVERTY INCREASED EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME PER DROP USED CAPACITY BUILDING TO SUPPORT PRODUCTIVE USES PROMOTE A BALANCED USE OF WATER IN A VARIETY OF SECTORS CAPACITY BUILDING AND AWARENESS wrt THE MOST BENEFICIAL USES

MUST BALANCE IMPACTS WITH PUBLIC INTEREST. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BALANCES CURRENT NEEDS WITH FUTURE NEEDS AIM TO SECURE A MINIMUM LEVEL OF ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING FIRST GRADUAL MOVEMENT TO IMPROVED FUNCTIONING AGREED BY STAKEHOLDERS ACCEPT PROVISIONAL DETERMINATIONS OF LIKELY IMPACTS IF PUBLIC INTEREST IS HIGH

MUST SPEED UP PROCESSING OF HIGH PUBLIC INTEREST – LOW IMPACT APPLICATIONS [S 27] SCHED 1 GENERAL AUTHOR. RAPID PROCESS DETAILED PROCESS COMPULSORY LICENSING

LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT MUST VARY BETWEEN CATCHMENTS.

Consolidation of prep-phase information for public engagement HOW DO WE GO ABOUT THIS? PREPARATORY MID- COMP. LIC / W-ALLOCATION POST- M & E RDM Verification of existing lawful use Water Balance Initiate Communications Campaign Engagement with other spheres of Govt Internal Strategic Perspectives / Situational Assessments Public Engagement Monitoring impact of process & outcomes (socio-economic indicators) Consolidation of prep-phase information for public engagement - RDM & Allocation Plans + Schedules (incorporated into Catchment Management Strategies) -

HOW DOES IT ALL FIT TOGETHER? Water Availability (Model) Installed Modeling System Reserve scenarios Ecological class & Reserve Process to finalise Interactive developing of reconciliation options Recommendations Existing lawful use Allocation schedule License applications Future use Water required for equity, rural development Public Participation Publication, Appeals, etc Process to finalise CMS Develop Catchment Management Strategy NWRS ISP Public Awareness CMA & WUA establishment Water use licensing WC & DM

WHAT APPROACHES DO YOU USE? THE CATCHMENT IS APPROACHING CLOSURE COMPULSORY LICENSING HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT WATER ALLOCATION IN DIFFERENT CATCHMENTS? THE CATCHMENT IS APPROACHING CLOSURE WATER IS NOT LIMITED