POLICY BRIEF: Water resource and development planning in the Berg Water Management Area
GreenCape has published a policy brief titled A case for integration: Water resource and development planning in the Berg Water Management Area.
The brief is written for government planners, consultants, and associations involved in water services, water resource and economic development planning. It focuses on the economic risks associated with future water constraints in the Berg WMA and advocates for the use of integrated planning approaches to ensure the smartest use and development of water resources.
Some key findings suggest that the Berg Water Management Area’s (WMA) planning systems are not structured or equipped to undertake integrated decision making. In the system, water resource development and economic development planning are viewed as separate rather than interdependent and necessary processes for achieving local and regional development goals.
In the absence of a regional water utility, the Western Cape Government should play a more prominent role in (a) supporting municipalities to include water resource and economic development planning in integrated development plan (IDP) processes and in (b) providing local authorities with capacity to implement future water resource augmentation projects.
ACDI Masters students played a key role in the collaborative research project on which this policy brief is based.
Download the full policy brief here.
Download the policy infographic here.
Download the full synthesis report here.
In addition to the brief, snapshots of future water needs for the following municipalities have been created:
View the full project webpage here.