The Tosca Molopo catchment forms a portion of the Lower Vaal Catchment, is located on the border between South Africa and Botswana, and it occupies part of the quaternary catchments C, D, E and F with groundwater being the sole source of water for both agriculture and domestic requirements. It lies 150km north of Vryburg (Figure 1). A tarred road connects Tosca to Vryburg while a network of secondary to tertiary roads serves the local communities transportation needs.

Figure 1. Location of the study area as located in the Lower Vaal Water Management Area.

From a socio-economic perspective, the catchment is largely rural, with the main economic activity being agriculturally based. The Tosca area was historically a stock farming area with cattle and game farming. Since 1990 rapid development of irrigation transformed the socio-economic and environmental profile of the area, thus leading to the over-exploitation of the resource. In 2003 compliance and enforcement actions were taken against various water users due to overabstraction. During that period verification and validation was also conducted and the water use were cut back by as much as 40% as the resource was overexploited. The current water requirements for Tosca catchment exceed the amount available, and it was for this reason that the catchment was prioritised for compulsory licensing under WAR.

Project Progress

A call for licence application was made on the government gazette dated 12 August 2010 and subsequent to this, a Proposed Allocation Schedule was gazetted and currently a Final Allocation Schedule has been gazetted)