|
RHP |
South African
River Health Programme |
|
|
|||
| The following article was published in the SA Waterbulletin 27 (4) |
|||
| The first report in a series of State of the Rivers reports, published this year, has been welcomed and well received by stakeholders. The report on the state of the Crocodile, Sabie-sand and Olifants River Systems is a product of the River Health Programme (RHP). The main purpose of the Programme is to serve as a source of information regarding the overall ecological state of river ecosystems in South Africa.
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) initiated the formal institution of the RHP in 1994. The RHP primarily makes use of in-stream and riparian biological communities (e.g. fish, invertebrates, vegetation) to characterise response of the aquatic environment to multiple disturbances. The rationale is that the integrity, or health, of the biota inhabiting the river environment provides a direct and integrated measure of the health of the river as a whole.
|
The biomonitoring process involves all types of skills and know-how, including sampling and the identification of species.
|
| Process
The process behind the first State of the Rivers report, can be summarised in brief as follows.
|
The RHP conducted surveys on three major rivers of Mpumalanga, namely the Crocodile, Sabie-sand and Olifants Rivers including some of their tributaries, from 1996 to 1999. Aquatic scientists collected data on river habitats and biota at about 200 monitoring sites during filed trips.
|
|
The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Ronnie Kasrils, hands the first State of the Rivers report to the Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Joyce Mabudafhasi. Both the Minister and Deputy Minister welcomed the report and expressed their desire to see this type of reporting extended to all the major South African river systems over the next few years.
|
|
In July 2000 the editorial team consisting of Anna Balance, Dirk Roux, Wilma Strydom (all from Environmentek, CSIR) and Mike Silberbauer and Liesl Hill (both from DWAF) got together. They had their first discussion to decide on the way in which the information on the health of the above-mentioned three rivers would be packaged. It was important to design a presentation format that would allow communication to multiple audiences (e.g. politicians, resource managers, the public at large) while at the same time reflecting the information needs of key stakeholders. It was decided to make use of both web-based technologies and conventional hard copy reporting.
|
Understanding the information needs of stakeholders was an important element in the development of the State of the Rivers report.
|
GIS specialists compiled maps. Here, Dineke Vink of CSIR is working on the Olifants River. |
A number of workshops were conduted with scientists and resources managers from a number of participating institutions. These institutions included Mpumalanga Parks Board, Kruger National Park, the Working for Water Programme and Biomonitoring Services. The workshops served to gain site specific knowledge from specialists as well as to reach consensus on ecological assessments.
|
|
In parallel with the development of the hard copy report, a "state-of-rivers-in progress" report was established on the RHP website www.csir.co.za/rhp/ where the process could be followed in real time. The internet version of the final report on the RHP website can be accessed through the link to "state-of-rivers reports".
|
The first State of the Rivers report in print.
|
|
The RHP aims with the State of the Rivers reporting to contribute to better understanding and management of river ecosystems. Two further reports have already been initiated for the Letaba and Luvuvhu Rivers, and the Umgeni River respectively.
|
|
The State of Rivers reporting is unique in the way in which scientific data is presented in an attractive and easy-to-read format
Copies of the State of the Rivers report: The Crocodile, Sabie-sand and Olifants River Systems, are available from the Water Research Commission, PO Box 824, Pretoria 0001 or:
|
| Back to Other Related Publications |