Integrated water quality management: getting people involved in the Jukskei River
Although the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has committed itself to public participation with regard to water quality management in South Africa, no formal structure exists as yet within which this can take place. The Jukskei River Water Quality Steering Committee, which consists of representatives of various government departments, the Provincial Government, local authorities as well as non-government organisations and community-based organisations, therefore functions without a legal framework and without funds of its own. Nonetheless, the committee has been highly successful in co-ordinating various actions such as an in-depth study of the catchment and various public awareness campaigns. The latter were specifically aimed at changing the value systems of the community in the Jukskei River Catchment, as this was found to be one of the major stumbling blocks in addressing the various water quality problems in the catchment.