Addressing Water Scarcity in South Africa through the Use of LID

摘要

By 2030 the Republic of South Africa (RSA), a developing country, is predicted to be severely impacted by physical water scarcity. 2015 was one of the driest years on record, leaving many towns with extremely compromised water supply systems whilst also limiting food production across the country. This is placing pressure on the already fragile economy. In order to avert a future water crisis, the country needs to reduce its reliance on conventional surface water schemes based on impoundments on rivers. This paper presents an initial assessment of the potential role of low impact development (LID) for the purposes of stormwater harvesting (SWH) and describes the principal outcomes from two RSA case studies. The findings suggest that SWH could substantially increase the supply of water to urban areas, but that there are a number of barriers to its wider use that need to be addressed. The paper concludes with three "position statements" describing how SWH, with the assistance of LID, can contribute to: improving water security and increasing resilience to climate change in urban areas; preventing frequent flooding; and providing various other additional benefits such as amenity and the preservation of biodiversity.