South Africa will embark on National Water Week with activities from 16 – 22 March 2020 under the theme, “Water and Climate Change”.

National Water Week is in line with United Nations’ (UN) World Water Day that is observed annually on 22 March with a focus on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The day is used as a basis for longer-term action involving governments across the globe. The UN aims to ensure that everyone in the world has access to safe water by 2030, while not impacting negatively on the environment.

The theme, “Water and Climate Change”, seeks to influence climate policy makers to put water at the heart of action plans as climate change has an impact on water availability. It also emphasizes that everyone has a role in addressing climate.

Climate change poses serious threats to water security and supply. This is manifested through the degradation of wetlands, changes in rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures.

Water is the primary medium through which we feel the effects of climate change. Water availability is becoming less predictable in many places and increased incidences of flooding threaten to destroy water points, while sanitation facilities contaminate water resources.

South Africa has an arid to semi-arid climate, with an average annual rainfall of 465 mm which is half the world average; with this rainfall distributed unevenly across the country, and across seasons and years. This water scarcity is exacerbated by an escalating demand due to economic and population growth, urbanisation and rising standards of living, unsustainable use and high levels of wastage and loss, as well as increasing pollution.

The current neutral and weak state of the El Nino since December 2019 is projected to continue for the rest of the summer period. This means that the drought that has been experienced will still persist. Reduced rainfall and increased temperature lead to reduced runoff that is meant to feed rivers and dams, as well as ground water storage.