Challenges to groundwater governance: a case study of groundwater governance in Cape Town, South Africa

Water Policy ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (S2) ◽  
pp. 127-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Colvin ◽  
I. Saayman
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Groundwater Governance ◽  
Public Resource ◽  
Formal Policy ◽  
Social Views

This paper examines the trialogue model for governance of groundwater in Cape Town, a developing urban environment. Government processes such as legislation and level of implementation are examined. Social processes were assessed in a household survey. These included common practice in using groundwater, motivating factors or drivers, understanding of the resource and trust in government structures. A review of the scientific understanding of groundwater resources in the city is given. Government in South Africa's fledgling democracy is in a state of transformation, with responsible institutions focused on their internal organisation and less on their ability to integrate with each other and positively impact resources and society. The social views of groundwater lag behind the formal policy of a public resource, and are tied more closely to land ownership. Science has informed groundwater development in the past, but explicit uncertainty in predictions and lack of an engineering approach has limited the use of groundwater for bulk supply. Private use, however, is widespread in the middle and high income areas and increasing as water tariffs have been increased to improve water demand management (WDM). Society's impacts on groundwater currently result from indirect drivers such as WDM. The trialogue model is a useful framework within which social drivers and impacts can be mapped. However, this occurs within the broader context of society supported by natural resources and we propose a model which includes the resource base and its feedback, and governance elements of formal government, the market and the knowledge base (including science).

Water management problems and solutions in a residential community of Al-Mafraq city, Jordan

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1371-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naji K. Al-Mefleh ◽  
Saad M. AlAyyash ◽  
Fatima A. Bani Khaled
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Management Problems ◽  
Problems And Solutions ◽  
The Government

Abstract This study aims to investigate existing water management problems and potential solutions in the Al-Mafraq Governorate of Jordan, and to examine public awareness of water demand management at the household level. A questionnaire survey captured residents' perceptions of water quantity and quality. Results showed that 71% of respondents find the water pumped from the public system to be insufficient, and 40.9% find that water laws and regulations are implemented ineffectively. The study also showed that 85% of respondents are dependent upon groundwater wells, and 42.5% of respondents have suffered water contamination. Water quality is degraded due to pollution caused by solid waste and liquids, and salinity is increased due to the over-pumping and depletion of groundwater resources. The study recommends that the government incentivize residents to harvest water to deal with water shortages, religious motivations be explored in water conservation efforts, and water authorities should repair or replace old pipelines.

Groundwater governance and the Law of the Hidden Sea

Water Policy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 742-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Lopez-Gunn ◽  
W. Todd Jarvis
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Hydraulic Connection ◽  
Groundwater Governance ◽  
Resource Governance ◽  
Natural Resource Governance ◽  
Surface Water Resources ◽  
Deep Aquifers ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Traditional Approaches

The paper offers an alternative interdisciplinary approach to dealing with the complexity associated with groundwater resources, providing a new angle that integrates deep groundwater systems as defined by hydro-geologists with a paradigm shift in natural resource governance, developed by political scientists. It questions the piecemeal approach to governance of groundwater resources, coupled with the lack of acknowledgment regarding the hydraulic connection of vast deep aquifers—or a hidden sea of groundwater. Rather than relying on traditional approaches to groundwater governance, which treat the resource like a mineral resource underlying the boundaries of a sovereign nation, the “post-sovereignty” and “multi-level” governance model proposed here for groundwater resources acknowledges that groundwater is hydraulically connected to the ocean and is equally complex with respect to predictive modeling. Existing legal instruments associated with the ocean that fall under the global “contract” of the UNCLOS, together with ongoing efforts to develop a legal instrument for transboundary aquifers, offer useful lessons. The paper concludes that a “world water contract” or Law of the Hidden Sea could be adapted to incorporate groundwater as a global common, deep aquifers that are not in direct hydraulic connection with surface water resources and that are part of the developing common heritage of mankind.

scholarly journals Shape of a water crisis: practitioner perspectives on urban water scarcity and ‘Day Zero’ in South Africa

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210
Author(s):  
Zachary Bischoff-Mattson ◽  
Gillian Maree ◽  
Coleen Vogel ◽  
Amanda Lynch ◽  
David Olivier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Critical Problems ◽  
Active Debate ◽  
Sound Policy

Abstract The interruption of essential water services in Cape Town, foreshadowed as ‘Day Zero,’ is one of several recent examples of urban water scarcity connected to the language of urgent climate change. Johannesburg, with its larger and growing population and deeply enmeshed water and power infrastructures, is currently regarded as one drought away from disaster. As a result, the lessons to be learned from Cape Town are under active debate in South Africa. We used Q method to examine the structure of perspectives on urban water scarcity among South African water management practitioners. Our results illustrate distinct viewpoints differentiated by focus on corruption and politics, supply and demand systems, and social justice concerns as well as a distinct cohort of pragmatic optimists. Our analysis underscores the significance of public trust and institutional effectiveness, regardless of otherwise sound policy or infrastructure tools. As practitioners explicitly connect domains of competency to solvable and critical problems, integrated systems approaches will require deliberate interventions. Furthermore, urban water crises exacerbate and are exacerbated by existing experiences of racial and economic inequality, but this effect is masked by focus on demand management of average per capita water consumption and characterization of water scarcity as ‘the new normal.’

scholarly journals What Drives Water Utility Selection of Pricing Methods? Evidence from California

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Allaire ◽  
A. Dinar
Keyword(s):  
Demand Management ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
California Water ◽  
Water Rates ◽  
Special District ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
District Governance

AbstractWater pricing is a demand management strategy to address the looming challenge of greater water scarcity in arid regions. Much of the literature on residential water rates focuses on evaluating the impact of pricing on household conservation. A separate, but rarely addressed question is what motivates a water utility to select a particular rate structure and the timing of doing so. We assess utilities’ decisions to adopt pro-conservation rate structures, such as increasing block rates and water budget rates. We develop a conceptual model of utility decision-making regarding the transition to pro-conservation rates and apply it to California.We examine the relationship between rate adoption and characteristics of utilities and customers using logistic regression and a balanced panel dataset of 323 California water systems from 2006-2015. We find a notable shift towards pro-conservation rates, which 71% of California utilities had by 2015, compared to 44% in 2006. Capacity factors associated with adoption include size of service population and customer income level, while motivating factors include peer adoption, greater customer engagement, and special district governance. Overall, this study provides insight into barriers to pro-conservation pricing, which can inform policies to enable transitions and advance conservation goals.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a behavior-centered design strategy for creating demand for oral PrEP among young women in Cape Town, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer F. Morton ◽  
Laura Myers ◽  
Katherine Gill ◽  
Linda-Gail Bekker ◽  
Gabrielle Stein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
African Women ◽  
Primary Partner ◽  
Social Marketing Campaign ◽  
Demand Creation ◽  
South African Women ◽  
National Programs

Background: There is an urgent need to find effective interventions that reduce young South African women’s vulnerability to HIV, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective when taken consistently. As national programs in Africa launch PrEP programs for young women, it is critical to understand how to effectively create awareness, stimulate interest, and increase uptake of PrEP. Methods: Behavior-centered design (BCD) guided the development of a PrEP social marketing campaign for young women. Ethnographic observations, in-depth interviews, and focus-group discussions with young South African women informed the content and design of a 90-second PrEP demand creation video and two informational brochures. A short survey was administered to young women at their homes after watching a video to evaluate PrEP interest. Of 800 households with a 16-25-year-old female identified from a Cape Town township census, 320 women in these households viewed the video and completed a survey about the video and their interest in PrEP. Results: In focus groups, young women from the township preferred local characters and messaging that was empowering, simple, and motivational. From the household survey of young women who viewed the video, most reported interest in learning more about PrEP (67.7% ‘definitely interested’ and 9.4% ‘somewhat interested’) and taking PrEP (56.4% ‘definitely interested’ and 12.5% ‘somewhat interested’). Factors significantly associated with interest in taking PrEP were having a primary partner with whom they regularly have sex (80.0% vs. 65.2% without a primary partner; adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.1, 95% CI: 1.3, 7.0) and being in a sexual partnership for <6 months (86.8% vs. 68.5% for >12 months; AOR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.2, 7.3). Conclusions: A positively framed PrEP demand creation video generated high interest in PrEP among young South African women, particularly among women with a primary partner and a shorter-term relationship. Registration: NCT03142256; registered on 5 May 2017.

scholarly journals Assessing public participation in water conservation and water demand management in water stressed urban areas: Insights from the City of Gweru, Zimbabwe

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (8) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
WINMORE KUSENA ◽  
Sumaiya Desai ◽  
Beckedhal Heinz ◽  
Chemura Abel
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
User Participation ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Water User ◽  
Water Users ◽  
The City

<p>The paper investigates the level of water user participation in water conservation and demand management in Gweru. Data was solicited from a combination of user opinion and key informants selected from the local authority and citizen representative groups. A household survey including 489 residents was carried out in the different categories of residential areas in the city. Several water conservation and demand management measures were identified. However compliance with the measures was poor. The majority of respondents (98%) were never consulted and did not participate in water decisions. Only a few respondents (2%) participated in water conservation and demand management consultation meetings, an indicator that decision-making was the sole prerogative of the local authority. Awareness in water conservation across residential suburbs was incredibly low irrespective of the socio-economic status of high literacy level recorded in the city. To explain the anomaly, respondents reported low participation (p = 0.078) in water conservation trainings which may have translated into limited conservation literacy. The findings also revealed poor communication channels between the local authority and residents such that water users felt disrespected and disregarded. Unfortunately no initiatives were in place to encourage and enable water user participation in water management. Water conservation and demand management will remain a problem in Gweru as long as there is no point of participation for various stakeholders, especially water users. Active participation channels must be opened in order to create water conservation awareness and good relations for effective participation and sustainable water service delivery.</p>

scholarly journals Emergency healthcare needs in the Lavender Hill suburb of Cape Town, South Africa: a cross-sectional, community-based household survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e033643
Author(s):  
Peter W Hodkinson ◽  
Jennifer Lee Pigoga ◽  
Lee Wallis
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Increased Risk

ObjectiveEmergency care is a key component of healthcare systems, but little is known about its real impact on communities. This study evaluated access, utilisation and barriers to healthcare, and specifically emergency care, in the low socioeconomic Cape Town suburb of Lavender Hill.DesignA cross-sectional, community-based household survey.SettingLavender Hill suburb in the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa.ParticipantsTwo-stage cluster sampling was used to identify approximately 13 households in each of 46 clusters, for a total of 608 households. A senior householder responded on behalf of each household surveyed.Primary outcome measuresAccess to, utilisation of and unmet needs related to healthcare at large and emergency care.ResultsIn August 2018, 608 households were surveyed, encompassing 2754 individuals, with a response rate of 96.4%. Almost a quarter of respondents (n=663, 24.1%) used the healthcare system within the last year. Female gender, advancing age, lower levels of education, recipients of disability grants, smaller household sizes and living in formal dwellings were factors associated with increased risk of unmet healthcare and emergency care needs. Only a small proportion of respondents (n=39, 1.4%) reported having unmet emergency healthcare needs, with wait times at facilities (n=9, 23.1%), emergency medical service delays (n=7, 17.9%) and personal safety (n=6, 15.4%) being prominent. There was a high prevalence of chronic medical conditions (hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemias) and recent deaths predominantly from trauma and malignancy.ConclusionThe emergency healthcare needs of the community appear to be well catered for, although community expectations may not be high and many barriers exist, particularly in accessing emergency care—be it via ambulance services or at healthcare facilities—and caring for chronic diseases in the ageing population. The Lavender Hill community could benefit from programmes addressing chronic disease management and emergency care delivery within the community.

scholarly journals Participation in groundwater governance – outlining a path to inclusive development

Water Policy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1050-1064
Author(s):  
Gabriela Cuadrado-Quesada ◽  
Joyeeta Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Groundwater Governance ◽  
Participation In Decision Making ◽  
Legal Frameworks ◽  
The Right

Abstract Although there is considerable research on participation, there is little that combines the relationship between access to information, participation and access to justice and how these can be combined to enhance groundwater governance. Hence, this article addresses the question: How can legal frameworks that recognize the right to participation alleviate local groundwater governance problems in different contexts? In order to address this question, this article reviews the literature on participation, law, policy and inclusive development and analyses selected legal frameworks that recognize participation, access to information and access to justice to determine how these frameworks have been implemented in groundwater governance. The selected contexts include Australia and Costa Rica. The findings show that (i) access to information, participation in decision-making and access to justice are mostly employed in a reactive manner to solve groundwater governance problems; (ii) access to information on groundwater ignores particular features of groundwater resources, such as ‘invisibility’, ‘irreversibility’ especially in relation to fossil resources, the local nature, and limited consensus on the data; (iii) meaningful participation is unlikely until information, learning, knowledge, and awareness about groundwater resources is popularized and (iv) factors enhancing access to information and participation in decision-making in groundwater governance include the existence of a water crisis, leadership, government funding dedicated to organize participatory processes; and small-scale and homogenous communities.

Management and sustainability of groundwater resources in Bahrain

Water Policy ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed K. Zubari ◽  
Ibrahim J. Lori
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Groundwater Balance ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Water Demands ◽  
Dammam Aquifer ◽  
Management And Conservation ◽  
Severe Deterioration

In Bahrain, groundwater in the Dammam aquifer is the only natural source of relatively freshwater to meet the increasing demands for water. Heavy reliance on groundwater, particularly by the agricultural and municipal sectors, and its prolonged overexploitation over the last four decades have led to severe deterioration in its water quality. Currently, most of the original groundwater reservoir has been lost to salinization. In the past, groundwater management efforts were concentrated principally on supply management, where great efforts have been made to develop additional non-conventional and conventional water sources to alleviate groundwater stress, while demand management, conservation and protection of groundwater resources have not received much attention or emphasis. Based on future anticipated management efforts and programs, three alternative policy scenarios are considered in investigating groundwater balance and sustainability in Bahrain for the period 2002–2010: (1) supply augmentation and stabilization of agricultural water demands, (2) supply augmentation and demand management in the agricultural sector and (3) supply augmentation and unrestricted agricultural sector water demands. The current groundwater deficit could be lowered significantly in the second and the first scenarios. Evidently, the second scenario is to be preferred and constitutes an appropriate base for securing sustainable development of groundwater resources. However, it will depend on the effective implementation of the proposed demand management and conservation programs in the agricultural sector with their socio-economic, as well as political constraints and risks.

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