“It is critical to relate grassland protection to water provision so that people begin to realise the direct impact of water catchment management and environmental conservation on their lives,” explains Therese Brinkcate, manager of The Green Trust.

The Green Trust sponsors the Enkangala Grassland Project a major grassland conservation project spanning 1.6-million hectares of grasslands straddling KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and the Free State.

Grasslands are vital water catchment areas that store water either as ground water or in wetlands, slowly releasing it throughout the year. It is the most natural, cost-effective means of supplying many of the world’s biggest cities with high quality drinking water.

The Enkangala region provides water for the whole of Gauteng (it contributes to the Vaal catchment) as well as to the major power stations in the region (which provide most of South Africa’s power).

For many cities, time is running out. Protecting water catchment areas is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

In a water stressed country such as our own, grasslands are inestimably precious, yet up to 60% of South Africa’s grasslands have been irreversibly degraded and less than 2% are formally conserved.

With the assistance of The Green Trust, a comprehensive grassland conservation project proposal was submitted to the Global Environmental Facility (an international body set up after the Rio Earth Summit in 2002).

The project’s aim is to significantly expand South Africa’s existing grassland conservation initiatives into the agricultural, forestry and urban development sectors.

The concept has been approved by the Global Environmental Facility and funding for a project development phase is on its way. In the meantime, The Green Trust has put funds in place to sponsor a full-time co-ordinator for this project – who will drive the process from their base at the South African National Biodiversity Institute in Pretoria.

The Enkangala Grassland Project will serve as a key flagship project in the development of the broader Global Environmental Facility plan.
 
“The Global Environmental Facility’s support of the grassland conservation project is a giant leap for grassland- and water conservation in South Africa,” states Brinkcate.

“Water is one of the few natural resources that South Africa does not have in abundance. We are entirely dependent on this precious natural resource and we need to recognise and participate in the full spectrum of water conservation initiatives.”

If we don’t, South Africa is hurtling towards a life-threatening shortage of water, as is currently projected for domestic, agricultural and industrial use by 2025.

17/01/2005