The south african minister of water and sanitation, gugile nkwitini, has revealed that water pollution poses the single biggest threat to the countrys water security and quality. According to the united nations convention on climate change on south africa in 2000, the water around africa is unevenly distributed, meaning that 60% of the water is situated in only 20% of the land. The project addressed the issue of aquifer vulnerability and the protection of groundwater quality. Analysis of water pollution control laws in south africa. South africa meets all its international environmental obligations as rapidly as possible. The monitoring and assessment of the quality of water resources is critically important for the determination of their fitnessforuse for various water use sectors. Many water quality studies conducted in south africa revealed that this problem contributes to the pollution of. Exploring environmental perceptions, behaviors and awareness. Due to a biological communitys ability to reflect water quality changes over time, biomonitoring was undertaken to support chemical water quality monitoring. There is, however, limited consensus among scholars as to the reasons for differences and similarities among ethnic and socioeconomic groups in their environmentally related attitudes and behaviors.
There is an increased risk of chemical contamination of ground water when minerals in upturned earth seep into the water table, and watersheds are destroyed when disfigured land loses the water it once held. The main outfalls are at kuils river, hout bay, camps bay and mouillie point as well as the stormwater drain pollution such as. How mine dumps in south africa affect the health of. Equitable and sustainable use of water for socioeconomic development g r o u p e d e l a b a n q ue afr ic ne d e d e v e l o p e m e n t a f ri c a n d e v elopment b a k g o u p economic commission for africa african union african development bank unwater africa. Draft white paper on integrated pollution and waste management. The world health organization has released its 2016 update to the global urban ambient air. The abundance of informal settlements that have been established along south africa s rivers is a major contributor to this pollution, due to the lack of. But nobody is willing to step on anybody elses toes so the pollution. Part of its mission is to ensure that the quality of water resources. There are various reasons why south africa currently has a water pollution problem. The report suggests that the primary sources of water pollution are untreated or partially treated effluents from municipal, industrial and mining wastewater discharges.
Air pollution can affect human health in a number of ways with both acute shortterm and chronic longterm effects. A scoping study on urban pollution in the orangesenqu system ii a scoping report on urban pollution in the orange senqu river system report produced as part of the. Thesis report msc environmental management department of. The air quality monitoring network coverage is really good, and all the information is available publically and freely from the. This paper is mainly an overview of the challenge of human induced water sources pollution in south africa. Water pollution awareness and drinking water treatment in rural south africa. State of water in south africa a researchers perspective. Water pollution in south africa and its public health impact. This report by the law library of congress provides information on the regulation of air pollution in australia, brazil, canada, china, european union, france, israel, japan, south africa, switzerland, and the. Result of survey about air pollution, water pollution, greens and parks satisfaction, light and noise pollution, etc. The community structure of the benthic meiofauna of the swartkops estuary, with special reference to nematodes, was investigated in relation to contaminants in the estuary 15. Effects of mining on the environment and human health.
Light pollution, the environment and climate change. Jan 22, 2015 these are unprecedented times, and the role of media to tell and record the story of south africa as it develops is more important than ever. Africas air pollution underestimated in climate change models. Pollution hotspots were identified, covering areas of both anthropogenic and natural pollution. An introduction to south africas water source areas page 10 an introduction to south africas water source areas page 11 south africa s freshwater resources and ecosystems south africa is famous for its biodiversity, and is the third most biodiverse country in the world. An introduction to south africas water source areas. Chapter 10 air quality department of environmental affairs. There are many rivers, and lakes spread all over the continent, and 80 are shared by more than one country.
We investigated the effects of failing sanitation, poor housing conditions, and fecal pollution in runoff water on the healthparticularly the incidence of diarrheal diseaseof residents of lowcost housing settlements in cape town, south africa. Another source of water pollution is the burning of fossil fuels, causing air pollution like acid rain which then flows to streams, lakes, and other stretches of water. Awareness of water pollution as a problem and the decision to. Geographic map of south africa displaying its major rivers 11 despite the apparent lack of water in south africa, a large portion of south africa s gdp is directly dependent upon water. South africa s water scarcity could get rapidly worse as supply contracts and demands escalates due to growth, urbanization, unsustainable use, degradation of wetlands, water losses and a decrease in rainfall due to climate change. Water quality management and pollution control in southern africa, written by prof ngonidzashe moyo, a freshwater biologist at the university of limpopo in south africa and sibekhile mtetwa and other water resources development experts, the quality of water supplies in the sadc region, once taken for granted. Water pollution in soshanguve environs of south africa. The effects of water pollution on south africa essay.
This paper documents the human health hazards arising from both sewage and mine water. Contributions which are not of broad international interest must make a specific contribution to southern africa defined for this purpose to include the countries of south africa, swaziland, lesotho, namibia, botswana, zimbabwe and mozambique. In south africa the scarce fresh water is decreasing in quality because of an increase in pollution and the destruction of river catchments, caused by urbanisation, deforestation, damming of rivers, destruction of wetlands, industry, mining, agriculture, energy use and accidental water pollution. In south africa the scarce fresh water is decreasing in quality because of an increase in pollution and the destruction of river catchments, caused by urbanisation, deforestation, damming of rivers, destruction of wetlands, industry, mining, agriculture, energy use, and accidental water pollution. Contribution of water pollution from inadequate sanitation.
Water security presents a profound challenge to south africa s social wellbeing and economic growth. Today, the centre for environmental rights cer, in collaboration with groundwork and the highveld environmental justice network hejn, launched a new report entitled broken promises. Africa, like numerous regions of the world is suffering through severe environmental crisis. Effects of human activities on the waterval river, vaal. Water pollution has been an issue in many subsaharan african countries, including south africa. The published literature on marine pollution monitoring research in south africa from 1960 to present was evaluated. Sep 12, 2016 air pollution kills 20 000 people in south africa every year, costing the economy nearly r300million. This article sets out to explore the public trust doctrine in south african law and its potential for assigning liability in a natural resources law context. It then reflects on whether the country is water secure and, if not, what is required to rectify the situation.
The water pollution in south africa has affected water quality and impacted negatively on public health and functioning of ecosystems including the rising cost of water treatment. Makungo department of hydrology and water resources university of venda, south africa abstract a study has been conducted to illustrate examples of water quality problems to vulnerable communities in limpopo province of south africa sa and. Status of marine pollution research in south africa 1960. As more and more people migrate into cities from rural villages the pressure for the city to meet the water demands is ever increasing. Environmental issues in southern africa water pollution. Surviving pollution in south africa for more about. This makes south africa the worlds 30th driest country. The rainy season promotes the transport of toxic waste in the groundwater and the surrounding creeks. Most often it is forgotten that the land we live in forms part of our environment, together with the air we breathe and the water we drink. Contamination of the water supply to the town of authors.
In this lesson, learn about the lead contributors to water pollution in africa and what is being done about the. Mar, 2014 africa s air pollution underestimated in climate change models. People in urban areas, usually provided with fresh drinkable tap water, are concerned with the water quality of this years supply. The failure of south africas priority areas for air pollution time for action. Learn more about the causes of water pollution in africa, the effects of pollution on the people of africa, and how you can get involved in the fight to end water pollution. The conflict that will result after that will lead to water pollution as neither of the parties will be able to focus on maintaining the cleanliness of the water. Everyday, garbage such as plastic, paper, aluminum, food, glass, or rubber are deposited into the sea. Water quality problems and management in rural areas of limpopo province, south africa j. South africa has failed to address the massive environmental and health effects of more than years of mining in and around johannesburg.
Downscaling the current numerical urbanscale weather prediction to a finer spatial and temporal resolution, and establishing a. Developing countries like south africa have a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in productivity losses and mortality due to high. The republic of south africa, along with the republic of senegal is a leading example for africa, for being the country with the most transparency on its air quality. This aids in minimizing water quality problems and possibly prevents any future pollution of the scarce water resources.
Surface water pollution is one of the serious environmental problems in rural areas of south africa due to discharge of household waste into the streams, turning them into open sewers. How mine dumps in south africa affect the health of communities living nearby may 2, 2018 10. Water quality problems and management in rural areas of. It occurs when pollutants are discharged into water bodies without removing or treating harmful compounds. Urbanization, industrialization, and climate change. Strip mining causes dust and noise pollution when top soil is disrupted with heavy machinery and coal dust is created in mines. Water security in south africa page 5 development planning division working paper series no. Lesotho is surrounded by south africa it is in the middle of south africa. Water in south africa is in great demand, and as the human population grows with its increasing needs for survival, the greater the demand for water. The water quality in the witbank dam catchment is rapidly deteriorating, mainly due to coal. Wwf south africa has a particular focus on freshwater, and aims to help build water security in south africa, with healthy catchments sustaining people and nature, and supporting economic development in a time of climate change. The water workshop comes amid severe drought in kwazulunatal, free state, limpopo and north west. The department of water affairs and forestry is the custodian of south africas water resources.
Angola, botswana, lesotho, malawi, mozambique, namibia, south africa, swaziland, zambia, and zimbabwe. Water sa is intended to serve both international and southern african readers and authors. The olifants river is one of south africas major water resources. Africa s contribution to climate change cannot therefore be overlooked. Published by statistics south africa, private bag x44. The country is the sixth largest coal producer and the fifth largest exporter of coal in the world.
South africa have been conducted, there is still a need to document them, suggest possible remediation measures and management practices and strategies. The major line of argument in this paper is that the rapidly growing population. Water pollution is a major threat to south africa averda. One of southern africa s biggest issues is the lack of clean water. Surface water and groundwater quality in south africa and. Contribution of water pollution from inadequate sanitation and. Air pollution kills 20 000 per year in south africa as many. New statistics released in parliament show that 118 mines around south africa are polluting rivers, inadequately testing for contamination or otherwise dirtying south africa s waterways. This study aims to develop a comprehensive system of pollution monitoring and control in the nyabugogo catchment of rwanda, which also includes the capital city, kigali, through locating and highlighting pollution and its sources. There are many reasons that attribute to this growing water crisis in south africa.
This is according to new research from the world bank. Apr 19, 2007 understanding the relationships among perceptions, behaviors and awareness of environmental initiatives is important for both policy makers and social scientists. African transboundary river basin support programme case of the orange senqu river in botswana lesotho, namibia and south africa global financial commitment no. The result is a significant amount of air, soil and water pollution. Light pollution, the environment and climate change by admin on january 5, 2011 in environmental issues, environmental problems, light pollution, pollution the issue of light pollution sprang to mind again tonight after reading about some cosmic events id really like to see. Brisley told delegates from the sadc about the national water resources strategy2, a guiding document to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of water in south africa. South africa 2010 59 water water south africa can be proud of the strides achieved in the design and development sector, which enabled the country to successfully host the world cup whilst minimising the associated demand for freshwater resource. For example, over 15 percent of its gdp comes from agriculture, which uses 60 percent of south africa s water. Statistics south africa i preface this discussion document contains water quality accounts for south africa for the reference year 2000. Many environmental issues affect southern africa due to urbanization and the acts needed in order to survive. South africa faces several problems with ensuring that its water resources are clean and plentiful enough for use. May 10, 2017 water quality in south africa is considered a difficult issue, and the country has struggled to supply some rural and local municipalities. Pdf pollution water and south africas poor anthony.
Different groups of individuals are affected by air pollution in different ways. Climate change has affected water supplies within the region. It does so in the context of south africa s challenges in dealing with acid mine drainage. In south africa, it was estimated that between 12 and 14 million south africans do not have access to safe water. Water security in south africa development bank of. Water quality in south africa is considered a difficult issue, and the country has struggled to supply some rural and local municipalities. In terms of freshwater biodiversity, we have 223 different types of.
Pollution status of two river estuaries in the eastern. Water pollution can be described as the contamination of water bodies such as oceans, lakes, aquifers and rivers. South africa has, in general a limited supply of water and the quality of this water is being threatened by pollution and the destruction of river catchments. There are a number of contributors to water scarcity, ranging from the dumping of industrial waste to rising temperatures due to global warming. See our instagram and youtube channels for more insights into environmental affairs and our work with local communities. Track changes publication series 4 book 5 impacts of. For example, there is a growing problem of toxicity of south africas water resources due to increased bacterial growth, including escherichia coli, aeromonas, pseudomonas, salmonella, shigella and vibrio spp 1. Lets not forget about the intermittently high levels of microbial pollution from sewerage pumping out into our seas according to the south african journal of science pdf here.
Since 2002, the chemicals used in gold mining in mali, including cyanide, have been found in the water in neighbouring senegal. South africas acid mine water pollution risks lives. Estimation of pollution in south africa, using perception. Sa air pollution an environmental threat the citizen. Developing countries like south africa have a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in productivity losses and mortality due to high concentrations of air pollution, namely, fine particulate matter pm. Some projections estimate that south africa already exploits about 98% of its available water supply resources. Some of perceived causes of water pollution in this subsaharan nation include. Water pollution is a global problem, especially in developing regions of africa. South africa is facing a lowincome housing crisis, with the current unmet need estimated at more than 3 million units.
All countries face threats to their water security from pollution, growing demands. Southern africa is the southern region of the continent africa. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Sa air pollution an environmental threat yadhana jadoo smoke billows from a coalfired power plant in gelsenkirchen, western germany, on january 16, 2012. The cost of air pollution in south africa lse research online. In south africa, outdoor and indoor air pollution continues to be perceived as a serious problem, with emissions for. South africa transitioned to a water constrained economy circa 2002, so in effect water is being recycled from sewage systems back into agriculture and potable use. There has been a general decline in the number of papers from the 1980s and this can be linked to the absence of a marine pollution monitoring programme in south africa.
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