Policy Implementation for Water Resources Protection: Assessing Spatio-Temporal Trends of Results from Process-Based Outcomes of Resource-Directed Measures Projects in South Africa

Abstract

Governments are continuously developing strategies for policy implementation toward water resource protection. However, little is known about the practical application of such plans to test their effectiveness in policy practice. This study focused on resource-directed measures (RDMs) in South Africa to assess progress made on policy implementation for water resource protection. The study included document surveys and content analysis of the publicly available reports and documents sourced from state departments and government websites. The findings of the study indicated that water resource-directed measures are used as policy implementation strategies for water resource protection in the country. Furthermore, the study revealed that significant progress has been made in this regard, when a multi-sectorial policy implementation practice approach through public-private partnerships ensured that 69% of the catchments have process-based RDM projects completed, while 18% are in progress, and only 13% are outstanding. In addition, it was found that water resource classes (WRC), numerical limits and ecological conditions for water resource reserve, and numerical limits and narrative statements for resource quality objectives (RQOs) are intermediate outputs originating from RDMs projects. The study recommends that outputs derived from process-based policy implementation plans must be applied at the water resource level and monitored to assess the effectiveness of policies for their effects on the status of water resources.

Assessing Feasibility of Water Resource Protection Practice at Catchment Level: A Case of the Blesbokspruit River Catchment, South Africa

“…The catchment was identified as Resource Unit 62 (RU62) within the delineated integrated unit of analysis UI of the UV-WMA [24]. The catchment was prioritised for water resource protection, and numerical limits for nitrate, phosphate, and electrical conductivity were prescribed and legalized through the government gazette [24]. This makes the BRC an ideal case study area for testing the feasibility of RDM operationalization.…”

“…Therefore, while water quality guidelines set numerical limits for various water uses, resource-directed measures (RDMs) such as RQOs set limits for a particular resource to protect its current conditions or improve them. In this regard, several studies on RDMs have been concluded in the country [24]. Results from such studies and projects involving resource-directed actions are reported in the official publications from the government.…”

Can Farmers’ Satisfaction with Green Production Policies Be Explained by Policy Structure and Policy Implementation? Evidence from China

“…In policy practice, in addition to formulating scientific and reasonable policies, the effectiveness of policy implementation is crucial [37]. Policy implementation is a key link in achieving policy goals and an important method for testing the scientific nature of policy formulation [38].…”

Estimation of Nutrient Load for Effective Water Resource Management in Dams: A case study of the Roodeplaat Dam, Southern Africa

“…3, is aimed at reducing water pollution and eliminating hazardous substances in water. Since water resources are a key socioeconomic development resource, sustainable water resource management should be prioritized as a development cornerstone (Makanda et al 2022). The African Union Agenda 2063 further identi es unsustainable water resource management and pollution as barriers to improving quality of life and climate change resilience (African Union 2020; Gar as Royo et al 2022).…”