Perspectives on integrated water resource management and its relevance in understanding the water-energy-climate change nexus in South Africa

Abstract

It is increasingly acknowledged that the water-energy-climate change (WECC) nexus is one of the synergies that pose a significant risk to achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), specifically numbers six, seven and thirteen. There are suggestions that climate change outcomes such as increased temperature and drought episodes have implications for water availability, which in turn affects energy production in countries dependent on hydropower, pump-storage or coal-generated electricity, including South Africa. This development therefore calls for improved understanding of how to effectively manage the challenges that arise from this nexus, to mitigate the impacts it may have on achieving the associated SDGs. This study, which is based on an in-depth appraisal of existing developments, assessed the potential of the integrated water resource management framework in understanding the WECC nexus and its implications for South Africa’s sustainable development endeavours, particularly in the context of water resource management and utilisation. The study revealed South Africa’s lack of integrated, effective, and efficient institutions and policy framework to comprehensively manage the challenges emanating from this nexus. It identified an urgent need to develop systems and processes through which South Africa can handle the challenges as well as capture the benefits that may be obtained from this nexus.

Towards improved Water-Energy-Climate Change nexus assessment in South Africa: A Participatory Approach

“…Despite the constitutional mandate requiring that key actors, such as government departments, local communities, industry, experts and researchers, are consulted to ensure meaningful, well-informed and effective policy instruments within the water, energy and climate change sectors, application of the PA appears to be lacking. The prevailing lack of coordinated and integrated approaches in the widely touted sectoral policies [12,13,11,3] demonstrates limited application of the PA in planning and implementation processes. These shortcomings suggest a lack of understanding of the interlinkages between the key socio-economic and environmental processes in the WECC nexus.…”

“…The acceleration of climate change and its impact on water and energy resources has heightened calls for a better understanding of the Water-Energy-Climate Change (WECC) nexus [1,2,3]. These calls are prompted mainly by the negative implications of the WECC nexus on attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).…”

“…These calls are prompted mainly by the negative implications of the WECC nexus on attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is argued that the complex interplay between these three components necessitates a "nexus thinking" approach, and holistic, integrated, management of the WECC [4,5,3]. Evidence, however, indicates that the risks associated with this nexus have not been fully understood globally.…”

“…This continued fragmentation reveals a lack of urgency in migrating to integrated management of the nexus, particularly in poor and middle income countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the risks associated with WECC are estimated to be at an all-time high as the region faces the need to address the existing challenges of water scarcity, growing energy demand and lack of effective systems to deal with climate changes impacts [5,3]. The nexus has implications on the welfare of communities in SSA which comprise predominantly of poor and middle-class households.…”

“…As is the case globally, South Africa lacks integrated approaches for the management of different nexus configurations such as WECC [10,11,12]. This is as demonstrated by the preponderance of fragmented approaches in the planning and development of policies and strategies for addressing growing water, energy, and climate change challenges in the country [13,3]. This observation, coupled with a lack of urgency to implement mitigation measures as proposed by different scientists in the country, suggests that there is limited coordination and collaboration among key stakeholders such as researchers, policymakers and communities.…”