Protecting Aquatic Ecosystem Health for Sustainable Use

Abstract

A global and South African context is provided for the policy and legislative requirements to ensure water ecosystem protection and sustainable use of water resources. The South African resource directed measures (RDM) strategy is analysed in terms of the methods, components and their application in the implementation of provisions of the country’s water legislation. The analyses include the determination and implementation of the ecological Reserve, water resource classification and the setting of resource quality objectives. It is concluded that the success of the implementation of water resource protection strategies can only be evaluated in term of the degree to which they are achieving the sustainable use and protection of water resources and their associated ecosystems. Monitoring, implementation and enforcement is the next challenge that is confronting South Africa in order to build on the successful method and policy developments that have taken place during the past decade.