The Water User Associations:

1
The Water User Associations potential for HDIs
uplifting and local integrated water resource
management
Nicolas FAYSSE IWMI South Africa
Workshop CEEPA-CIRAD 1-4 October 2002
2
General context

• need for integrated water resource
• management
• - need to redress past inequalities

• The 1998 National Water Act

• But huge discrepancies between users

3
A vision for WUA

• The structure

association of productive users
an initial debate between
lower-tier of IWRM
4
   
Research approach How to give shape to this
vision?
I) IWRM the issues and the current distribution
of responsibilities

C) WUA role for capacity building and
organization of the HDIs community
5
Methodology
mixed
Komati\Lomati
a) Study of WUAs
Gamtoos
Pongola and Lower Olifants?
Hereford
HDIs only WUAs

• the current management / distribution of
  information
• the local initiatives
• what are the issues what HDIs can REALLY expect
  from a
• better involvement and understanding
• - the representation of new members
  Municipalities, upcoming farmers, etc.

6
Inkomati Basin
Kruger National Park
Nelspruit
Lomati
Mozambique
Komati
Swaziland
7
The Komati and Lomati Irrigation Boards
commercial farmers
Driekoppies dam
Lomati

Tonga weir
small-scale growers
South Africa
Komati
Swaziland
Sibange weir
Maguga dam
former KaNgwane
8
The Integrated Water Resource Management (I)

• The issues

Water quality and quantity
Environment
problems of erosion, absence of fish ladder
9
The Integrated Water Resource Management (II)
2 French experiences regarding local IWRM
- River Contract - SAGE Plan for Investment and
Management of Water
10
Issues for the HDIs
11
Emerging farmers (I)

• General success of small-scale growing

• a very well organized sector
• stable prices and guarantee to sell
• easy cropped culture, with a mechanism to
  control quality

• A specific involvement of the sugarcane industry

12
Emerging farmers (II)

• At the IB level a general consensus

- asymmetry of information
- small overlap between WUA duties and HDIs
problems
13
Upcoming farmers

• A current refusal of all water allocation demands

- a perceived lack of water - a need to protect
against risk - the willingness to wait for a
global assessment

• The Compulsory Licensing Process

14
Conclusion

• DWAF vision can be accepted by Commercial Farmers
• - problem of communication (water management
  fee)
• - a need to share information

• A possible too strong focus on public
  participation
• for its sake only
• not only about structure what are the issues
  that
• public participation could really address?
• while neglecting capacity building
• and the reallocation of water