Assessing the Role of Water Resources Protection Practice for Sustainable Water Resources Management: A Review

Abstract

Water resource protection is central to sustainable water supply management for human wellbeing and for the ecological ecosystem to flourish. This review paper focuses on highlighting the role of groundwater and surface water protection practice to improve their sustainable utilization in South Africa. Using an integrative approach, this paper initially reflects on the history of water resources utilization, and it examines what is understood by the term “water resources protection”. This review paper then continues by providing an analysis of the current practice at global and local levels. The study found evidence of water resource utilization in the ancient times with limited challenges despite unavailability of regulation mechanisms. However, in recent times water resource availability challenges linked to water availability and water quality deterioration are evident globally despite having policies and regulation in place. Based on the findings of the study, a novel conceptual results-oriented policy monitoring framework is proposed, and it was distinctively designed to address challenges identified in practice in the South African context. The framework is configured on (1) the vision of the catchment protection and sustainable use, (2) water resources protection practices, (3) the state of water resources, and (4) policy evaluation and review processes as the key elements to drive success in policy implementation and monitoring practice. Therefore, this paper provides a foundation for results-oriented policy monitoring for water resources protection to improve sustainable water resources utilization in the country. The proposed framework can be considered as a reference guide that can be used to monitor policy practice for water resources protection by following a result-oriented monitoring approach