ENSURING FAIR ACCESS TO WATER IN TIMES OF DROUGHT

• Theme: Clean Water Supply and Provisioning

• Project: Adaptive Integrated Water Resources Management (A-IWRM) and Transdisciplinary Catchment Governance

South of the Cederberg mountains and 200km north of Cape Town is the Twee River area. It belongs to the protected Cape Fynbos region, and it is the only home to a critically endangered fish species: the Twee River Redfin. But farmers and residents who rely on the river for their livelihoods also inhabit the space.

With climate change predicted to reduce water flows in the area, its inhabitants must learn how to share water resources fairly without threatening the natural environment. Several members of the Institute of Water Research, including Dr Jane Tanner, Dr Olivier Barreteau (INRAE, France), and Dr David Gwapedza investigated how decision-making around sharing water resources might happen.

The research team used the ‘Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP)’ – a tool used to inform complex decision-making. It is especially handy when choices must consider various, sometimes conflicting, factors.

The team gathered stakeholders from the community together and asked them to consider various issues that would influence a fair water allocation. They reflected on the ecological significance of local fish species, the socioeconomic needs of farmers, the rights of domestic water users, and the economic contributions of the tourism sector. They were then asked to rank these different factors, and the rankings were analysed using the AHP.

“As climate change further squeezes an already water-scarce landscape, taking community viewpoints into account can be critical to governing resources efficiently.”

This process ensured that all those affected were included in the decision-making process and that their views of fairness were considered. Overall, participants in the study believed that environmental protection and farmers (who provide jobs and food security) should be given equal weight in water distribution, followed by residents and tourism.

As climate change further squeezes an already water-scarce landscape, taking these community viewpoints into account can be critical to governing resources efficiently. If decision-making is not inclusive, competing interests can create a greater risk of conflict and competition. The research serves to strengthen various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are integral to South Africa’s vision for the future by ensuring access to water and helping to build resilient and sustainable communities.

Publication: Xoxo S, Tanner J, Mantel S, Gwapedza D, Paxton B, Hughes D, & Barreteau O. (2023, May). Chapter 11-Equity-Based Allocation Criteria for Water Deficit Periods: A Case Study in South Africa. In International Conference on Decision Support System Technology (pp. 137-155). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.