27 November 2009
	Benefits flow from decisive action

There comes a point - even in a consultative democracy, even if factions in a ruling party have to be placated - when a government has to act decisively. In SA, as the recent international report by the 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) reminds us, fast-growing urban demand for water is already outpacing supply. SA is essentially an arid country, with a rainfall at 50% of the world's average. Our rain is highly seasonal, with 80% occurring in a span of five months each year. The combined flow of all our rivers is less than 50% of the Zambesi's, and their comparative shallowness means evaporation is high. Rock formations mean there is a limit on the supply of ground water. We have additional problems that are peculiar to us. Population distribution owes more to the location of mineral than natural resources. Johannesburg is at the heart of the SA economy and home to millions of people - yet it is one of the few major cities in the world without a substantial water resource. And in a vicious irony, the geological accident that determined the position of Johannesburg on the map - the richest gold deposits in the world - is also the cause of a new threat: toxic water seeping from the old mine workings. To secure our survival, we have to increase the supply of water, reduce wastage, distribute more effectively, allocate more efficiently, eliminate pollution and treat contamination. The WRG estimates that the minimum additional capital outlay needed for SA to deal with these issues by 2030 is nearly R3bn every year at today's values. The Eskom disaster last year was a warning that essential services and supplies must never be subjected to budgetary compromises and political agendas, nor get dragged down in policy paralysis and bureaucratic inertia. It would be good to know that government understands this and is acting accordingly, but we are not convinced.