Water sensitive cities in South Africa: developing a Community of Practice

Abstract

South Africa is a rapidly-urbanising developing country with complex water management challenges, both in terms of significant resource shortages as well as access to water-based services, with associated negative impacts on surface and groundwater quality. Alternative approaches to conventional water management which aim to facilitate a change from 'water-wasteful' to 'water-sensitive' environments are required if serious economic and socio-political threats are to be averted. As a first step towards advancing this vision for South African cities, a Water Sensitive Design (WSD) Community of Practice programme was established in 2014, with the aim of highlighting the critical linkages between the various aspects of this new paradigm through engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The main focus areas have been the establishment of a project register to aid in the broad consolidation of WSD practices throughout the country, the development of an information transfer system, awareness-raising and training activities (using the recently-published implementation framework and guidelines for the adoption of WSD in South Africa, and including the development and monitoring of appropriate Learning Alliances and other information-exchange platforms), and scoping studies to identify the main drivers and barriers associated with implementing WSD into the planning and implementing environment at local and national government level. Initial findings indicate that the Community of Practice programme has the potential to generate a new understanding about innovative practices and reflexive learning within WSD in South Africa, and to develop knowledge connected to policy development and change to influence planning and design towards water sensitive cities.

Using “Live” Public Sector Projects in Design Teaching to Transform Urban Green Infrastructure in South Africa

“…Several authors discuss the importance of partnerships between different stakeholders (including transdisciplinary work) in contributing to improved UGI planning [23][24][25] to ease institutional and capacity constraints, overcome the divide between science and practice, and bring about systemic change [26][27][28]. Roux et al [28] offer an excellent case study analysis for transdisciplinary researchers that provide lessons to improve the chances of project success for systemic change.…”

Sustainable water use and the nexus of behavioural intentions: the case of four South African communities

“…It is projected that 63% of the population live in urban centres (Carden et al . ) and water consumption in the urban areas currently account for about 25.1% compared with 4.7% in rural communities. The current WC/WDM efforts appear primarily focused on ensuring water use efficiency that is, controlling authorised water usage and system losses especially in urban areas (Bourblanc ).…”

“…Part of the water conservation/water demand management (WC/WDM) strategies is to rein in irresponsible water use behaviour that leads to water wastages and water use inefficiencies and, to stem the yawning gap between demand and supply by reducing 'water demand in urban areas to 15% below business-as-usual scenario by 2030' (DWA 2013: 5). It is projected that 63% of the population live in urban centres (Carden et al 2016) and water consumption in the urban areas currently account for about 25.1% compared with 4.7% in rural communities. The current WC/WDM efforts appear primarily focused on ensuring water use efficiency that is, controlling authorised water usage and system losses especially in urban areas (Bourblanc 2017).…”

An Exploratory Case-Study Approach to Understand Multifunctionality in Urban Green Infrastructure Planning in a South African Context

“…South Africa has only recently started to engage with elements such as sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) through water sensitive urban planning and design (WSUD) solutions that incorporate constructed wetlands, rain gardens and bioswales (Fisher-Jeffes et al, 2017). Although WSUD has not yet been acknowledged in spatial planning in South Africa on a large scale, certain examples of implementation from Cape Town and Johannesburg have emerged (Carden et al, 2016, Mguni et al, 2016Madonsela et al, 2019). Several barriers and limitations to the implementation of SUDS in cities in sub-Saharan Africa have been acknowledged (e.g., Mguni et al, 2016), especially the need for "social acceptance and capacity building" amongst planners (Cilliers et al, 2021) to address inequality and build a "community of practice" to implement WSUD (Carden et al, 2016).…”