Integrated water assessment : decision support approaches for water resource management in South Africa
Integrated water assessment : decision support approaches for water resource management in South Africa
The South African parliament promulgated a new, radically reformed, National Water Act (No. 36) in 1998. The National Government, acting through the Department of Water Affairs & Forestry (DWAF), is the public trustee of the nation’s water resources. In the preamble of the Act, the need for the integrated management of all aspects of water resources is recognised and, where appropriate, the delegation of management functions to regional or catchment level is acknowledged. The challenge is to use the water policy to incorporate practical decision-making methods without adversely affecting the environment, economy or social structures of the country.
The research documented in this thesis aimed to provide methods and techniques that will move management systems closer to the national and social ideals of the country. The objectives of the study were to (1) evaluate the benefits of using Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and adaptive management to improve integrated water resource management; and to (2) demonstrate how spatial analysis tools might be applied within the SEA process to assist decision-making. A methodology wherein the techniques of SEA and Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management (AEAM) were combined was proposed and examined within the context of the Berg water management area in the country.
To support this methodology, the thinking behind cellular automata techniques was incorporated within the process to understand more clearly the mutual influence of the different groups of criteria (social, economic, ecological, and political) on each other. Although using models such as cellular automata are idealised and artificial, they still provide an indication of actual as well as optimal patterns and plans. ARC/INFO GIS is used as a platform to manage the criterion data and modelling. The results illustrated that GIS can effectively be used to improve the assessment and management processes to provide stakeholders and decision-makers alike with information to encourage knowledge sharing and an understanding of issues inherent in integrated management of resources.
University of Southampton
Steyl, Ilse
970116cd-b2a2-40fb-b351-4aea0f1e1ef8
2004
Steyl, Ilse
970116cd-b2a2-40fb-b351-4aea0f1e1ef8
Steyl, Ilse
(2004)
Integrated water assessment : decision support approaches for water resource management in South Africa.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The South African parliament promulgated a new, radically reformed, National Water Act (No. 36) in 1998. The National Government, acting through the Department of Water Affairs & Forestry (DWAF), is the public trustee of the nation’s water resources. In the preamble of the Act, the need for the integrated management of all aspects of water resources is recognised and, where appropriate, the delegation of management functions to regional or catchment level is acknowledged. The challenge is to use the water policy to incorporate practical decision-making methods without adversely affecting the environment, economy or social structures of the country.
The research documented in this thesis aimed to provide methods and techniques that will move management systems closer to the national and social ideals of the country. The objectives of the study were to (1) evaluate the benefits of using Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and adaptive management to improve integrated water resource management; and to (2) demonstrate how spatial analysis tools might be applied within the SEA process to assist decision-making. A methodology wherein the techniques of SEA and Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management (AEAM) were combined was proposed and examined within the context of the Berg water management area in the country.
To support this methodology, the thinking behind cellular automata techniques was incorporated within the process to understand more clearly the mutual influence of the different groups of criteria (social, economic, ecological, and political) on each other. Although using models such as cellular automata are idealised and artificial, they still provide an indication of actual as well as optimal patterns and plans. ARC/INFO GIS is used as a platform to manage the criterion data and modelling. The results illustrated that GIS can effectively be used to improve the assessment and management processes to provide stakeholders and decision-makers alike with information to encourage knowledge sharing and an understanding of issues inherent in integrated management of resources.
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Published date: 2004
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Local EPrints ID: 465594
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/465594
PURE UUID: bd4444d8-d00d-4e81-90cc-b52427ddd512
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 01:56
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 02:16
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Author:
Ilse Steyl
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