The national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWAF) initiated the South African River Health Programme (RHP) in 1994. The purpose of this initiative was to gather information regarding the ecological state of river ecosystems in South Africa. The information will be used to support positive management of these natural resources.
Context of this Report
Aquatic communities (e.g. fish, riparian vegetation, aquatic invertebrate fauna) integrate and reflect the effects of chemical and physical disturbances that occur in river ecosystems over extended periods of time. The RHP uses assessments of these biological communities to provide a direct, holistic and integrated measure of the integrity or health of the river as a whole.
The planning, development and implementation of the RHP has been undertaken in the following phases:
1. Design
The objectives, scope, and specifications of the programme were set by local resource managers and scientists in conjunction with international benchmarks. 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.
2. Conceptual Development
Prototypes have been developed for:
a spatial classification scheme, (which allows comparison of biological data from different sites);
a protocol for selecting monitoring and reference sites;
protocols for selecting and using biological and abiotic indices (to measure the health of river ecosystems);
procedures for the storage, management and transfer of data collected by the RHP;
and mechanisms for collaboration and networking between partners.
In order to ensure a critical level of organisational participation and capacity, a model of shared ownership has been advocated. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWAF), the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and the Water Research Commission (WRC) became joint custodians of the programme at a national level, assisted by Provincial Champions and Provincial Implementation Teams.
3. Pilot implementation
This phase was necessary to allow testing, refinement, and integration of components of the RHP, and highlighted additional developments where required. It also demonstrated the value of the programme and provided broad guidelines to facilitate the eventual implementation and maintenance of the programme. A further outcome was an improved understanding of the practical and operational factors that influence the sustainable implementation of the RHP.
4. Anchoring phase
The goal of this current phase is to help implementation agencies to go through the different steps of implementing the programme, and to internalise the programme in terms of required expertise, skills and budgets.
