RHP South African
River Health Programme 		State of the Rivers Report
Crocodile, Sabie-Sand & Olifants
River Systems
go back to RHP homepage Table of Contents introduction/background overview of study area indicators and indices list of infoboxes with links
Introduction to the River Health Programme Crocodile River System Sabie-Sand River System Olifants River System summary state of Environment reporting

1.2    A new Water Act for South Africa
The principles of sustainability and equity are the cornerstones of the South African water policy. The protection of aquatic ecosystems is recognised as essential in order to support their sustainable and optimal use. Therefore, for the first time and through the provision of an ecological reserve, the water required to maintain aquatic ecosystem integrity is guaranteed. The national Water Act (Act No 36 of 1998) has two separate but interdependent components related to the proposed strategy for sustainable resource utilisation, namely:

  • Protection of water resources in order to ensure their ability to support utilisation for the benefit of current and future generations;
  • Utilisation of water resources in the most efficient and effective manner, within the constraints set by the requirements for protection.

    An integrated resource protection approach is the best way to adequately address the need to manage water resources on an ecosystem basis, as well as allowing a balance between long-term protection and short-term development needs. The integrated resource protection approach:

  • Sets measurable and verifiable resource quality objectives (RQOs) that clearly define acceptable levels of protection for water resources. These RQOs have four critical components, namely requirements for water quantity (water level or flow), requirements for water quality (chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of the water), requirements for habitat integrity (of in-stream and riparian habitats), and requirements for biotic integrity (health, community structure and distribution).
  • Imposes source-directed controls (economic and regulatory instruments and self-regulation) for waste discharge, impact generation and rehabilitation, to ensure that the conditions for protection of the receiving environment are met.

    The RHP will play an important role in specifying RQOs for habitat and biological components of aquatic ecosystems. Through the RHP, assessments can be made regarding the ecological state of an aquatic ecosystem in terms of:

  • The present ecological state (where are we now);
  • Ecological reference conditions (where could we potentially be);
  • Setting of ecologically sound and feasible RQOs (where we aim to be).
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