The Upper Vaal WMA

Abstract

The Upper Vaal WMA extends over four provinces, namely Gauteng, North-West, Mpumalanga, as well as Free State province. It does not directly share any rivers with neighbouring countries. Large quantities of water are transferred into the Upper Vaal WMA from the Lesotho Highlands Project, as well as through catchment transfers to and from neighbouring WMAs. The Vaal River is considered to be the main water source for the central industrial, mining and metropolitan regions in South Africa, and also serves Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, Limpopo, North-West, as well as the Northern Cape provinces. The Upper Vaal WMA covers a relatively large area and is very important to the South African economy and for future development. The natural landscape has been transformed and manipulated physically and chemically in order to meet society’s needs. The changes of land cover and land use have consequently been accompanied by various impacts on the specific region’s hydrological responses and ultimately its water resources. The large variety of sectors have been accompanied with multiple major water-related problems which could in the near future have detrimental effects on the country’s socio-economic growth as well as the ecological health of the surrounding environment. Focus is placed on the description of the Upper Vaal WMA and its water resources.