Water governance challenges in rural South Africa: exploring institutional coordination in drought management
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Date
2020
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Abstract
Droughts have severe direct impacts on the livelihoods of rural populations. Thus, the management of water for
communal agriculture and water supply should be well coordinated to enhance drought resilience. Notwithstanding the interrelations among water management institutions in South Africa, there are complexities in the way
these institutions work together, both in preparation for, and during drought times. In this article, we examine
the governance of water resources in South Africa with a view to understanding institutional coordination in
drought management at different operational scales. Using a qualitative approach, the roles and relationships
between water actors at the local and regional level were analyzed for their adequacy in building local level
drought resilience in a village in the Limpopo province, South Africa. Key informant interviews conducted
revealed operational drought management challenges that emanate from communication barriers, coordination
inconsistencies, and undefined, unclear actor roles and responsibilities during disasters. The top-down approach to disaster management, while of some value, currently constrains the effectiveness of the local-level institutions
implementing local drought risk reduction efforts. Achieving more successful water and drought governance
endeavors could be enhanced by greater and wider engagement with community-based actors and water management institutions.
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Citation
Makayaa, E. et al. (2020) Water governance challenges in rural South Africa: exploring institutional coordination in drought management. Water Policy 22 (2020) 519–540