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The South African River Health Programme (RHP)
primarily makes use of biological indicators
(e.g. fish communities, riparian vegetation, aquatic invertebrate fauna) to assess the condition or
health of river systems. The rationale for using biological monitoring is that the integrity of
biota inhabiting river ecosystems provides a direct, holistic and integrated measure of the
integrity or health of the river as a whole.
Goal and Objectives
The goal of the RHP is to serve as a source of information regarding the ecological state of river ecosystems in South Africa, in order to support the rational management of these natural resources.
The objectives of the RHP are to:
Measure, assess and report on the ecological state of aquatic ecosystems;
Detect and report on spatial and temporal trends in the ecological state of aquatic ecosystems;
Identify and report on emerging problems regarding aquatic ecosystems;
Ensure that all reports provide scientifically and managerially relevant information for national aquatic ecosystem management.
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