Efforts to establish water as an agenda item in its own right in climate change negotiations are gaining momentum in Durban, South Africa. Water experts say doing this will lead to a greater focus [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 06 Dec 2011

Efforts to establish water as an agenda item in its own right in climate change negotiations are gaining momentum in Durban, South Africa. Water experts say doing this will lead to a greater focus on developing policy, and attract more resources into the water sector through adaptation programmes.

As rainfall patterns change, Africa is facing major crises

“For every one of us, the first thing you use when you wake up in the morning is water, and when we are going to bed, it is water. Yet, it’s taken for granted,” says Chris Moseki, research manager at the Water Research Commission (WRC) in South Africa. WRC is a member of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) – a global alliance of organisations working on water issues.

Access to water is an urgent issue here in the Southern Africa region, where nearly 100 million people lack adequate access to water. Modelling by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa shows the region will become hotter and drier over the next 50 to 100 years, putting farms, industry, domestic water supply and natural ecosystems at risk.

International water experts and policy makers are concerned that planning for changes to water availability is not getting the prominence it deserves. Bai-Mass Taal, the Executive Secretary of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), says they are working to raise the profile of water within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“We are saying to the parties, look: we appreciate what you are doing in other sectors, but without addressing water directly, all of that will be in vain,” says Taal.

At this point, water issues are being discussed by treaty negotiators as part of wider planning, prioritising and implementing of adaptation to a changing climate.

Dr. Ania Grobicki, GWP Executive Secretary, says that with growing numbers of countries expected to experience water scarcity, the current position of water in climate talks is inadequate.

“The GDP of many countries in the least developed countries is dependent on water. More than 50 percent of food for the world will come from Africa in the future, and this is dependent on availability of water,” she says. “That is why this discussion should go beyond where it’s now.”

More than 70 percent of the Southern African Development Community’s population depends directly on farming, overwhelmingly on rain-fed agriculture. The CSIR’s projections are among many drawing attention to how predicted changes to rainfall, limited resources for adaptation and a lack of institutions and capacity to regulate river and stream flow will leave people in Southern Africa and across the continent extremely vulnerable.

Similar challenges are predicted not only for Africa, but across the world as weather patterns change, but Africa’s lack of irrigation and other infrastructure is a factor that magnifies the need for urgent intervention.

Africa’s response

As rainfall patterns change, Africa is facing major crises. Millions faced famine in Niger and Mali in 2010 after drought hit farmers and herders. This year, the Horn of Africa has been facing its worst drought in 50 years and millions are suffering from hunger. According to the U.N. World Food Programme, some 12.3 million people in the Horn are in need of emergency assistance.

Rhoda Peace, the African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, points out that when African leaders talk about climate change; they invariably talk about droughts and floods’, showing that water is already a high priority.

In 2008, African heads of state agreed to make water and sanitation a priority.

“Leaders agreed to allocate at least 0.5 percent of their national budget to water,” says Peace. “Now whether that is actually the case is another story, but some countries are doing very well and may reach their targets.”

Providing adequate access to water across Africa will cost billions of dollars. And for the many African governments which are failing to honour earlier commitments will not be able to raise the required amounts without support.

Simon Thuo, the Eastern Africa coordinator for GWP, says he is surprised that despite the clear need, even the African negotiating group’s proposals mention water only in passing. Along with other experts, he believes that if climate negotiations address management of this essential commodity specifically, it will not receive the necessary attention and funding.

By: Joshua Kyalimpa
Source: IPS

Agricultural methods need to be radically overhauled to ensure food production rises to meet increasing demand but that water resources are not depleted further by doing so, research showed on Monday.

An average [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 05 Sep 2011

Agricultural methods need to be radically overhauled to ensure food production rises to meet increasing demand but that water resources are not depleted further by doing so, research showed on Monday.

An average 2,000-3,000 litres of water per day is needed to produce food per person

A radical overhaul of agriculture could create farms that enhance, rather than degrade, the world’s ecosystems, said a report led by the United Nations’ Environment Programme and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

“Managing water for food and ecosystems will bring great benefits, but there is no escaping the urgency of the situation,” said David Molden, deputy director general for research at IWMI.

“We are heading for disaster if we don’t change our practices from business as usual,” he added.

Water limits are close to being “reached or being breached” in areas such as northern China, India’s Punjab and western United States, said the report, entitled ‘An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security’.

It warns that the number of people living in conditions of water scarcity could rise to 2 billion from 1.6 billion if the intensification of agriculture is not changed.

“People underestimate the amount of water used to make food. An average 2,000-3,000 litres per day is needed to produce food per person, compared to 200-300 litres for household use per day,” Molden told Reuters.

“On a global scale, we are likely to produce (enough) food but that doesn’t solve the environmental problems and locally, we are already seeing the crunch.”

The world’s population is forecast to rise to over 9 billion by 2050 from its current 6.9 billion, putting more strain on resources.

“We need to double food production if population goes up by a third, because people eat more meat and vegetables. And if we don’t change water practices, we need to find 70% more water,” Molden said.

To achieve both food and environmental security, governments need to provide incentives to farmers to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices, he added.

Farmers need to think about their business as more than just food production, while consumers need to demand good agricultural methods.

There are many opportunities to use trees on dry-land farms to intensify the amount of food produced per hectare of land while improving the local ecosystem, the report found.

By integrating trees and hedgerows, farmers can prevent runoff and soil erosion and preserve more water for feeding their crops.

Last month, a separate UN report said a sharp move away from large-scale, intensive systems of agriculture was essential if growing environmental and land degradation was to be halted.

Source: Moneycontrol.com

Further embedding its commitment to environmental sustainability, the Nedbank Group is to invest R9 million into the innovative WWF Water Balance Programme. Water is widely acknowledged as South Africa’s scarcest resource and the one that [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 31 Aug 2011

Further embedding its commitment to environmental sustainability, the Nedbank Group is to invest R9 million into the innovative WWF Water Balance Programme. Water is widely acknowledged as South Africa’s scarcest resource and the one that will be the most impacted by climate change. Nedbank’s increased focus on water is a key part of their climate change response strategy and underpins the urgent need to tackle climate change impacts as will be addressed at COP17 in Durban later this year.

Wattles have taken over more than 1.6-million hectares of South Africa

WWF estimates that around 98% of South Africa’s freshwater supplies are currently allocated and that demand will outstrip supply by 2025, jeopardising economic growth that is vital for ongoing socio-economic development.

‘Through our provision of water infrastructure funding, our 20-year involvement with The Green Trust and our own sustainability initiatives, we have invested in a range of water-related projects in line with our water stewardship programme, which addresses water scarcity, water quality and access to water. This new multi-million rand investment raises our water stewardship efforts to a much higher and more impactful level,” said Mike Brown, Nedbank’s CEO.

Dr Deon Nel, head of WWF’s Biodiversity Unit, said that WWF has identified the availability of water and the health of water provisioning catchments as one of the most critical challenges facing South Africa.

Nedbank’s investment will fund the removal of alien invasive species, which is estimated to release more than 550,000 kilolitres of water a year, back into two of SA’s high priority water catchment areas.

Following its achievement of becoming Africa’s first carbon neutral financial organisation in 2010, water is the next step in Nedbank’s sustainability journey. A 17% reduction in its own water consumption over the past two years is further evidence of this commitment.

“Nedbank is making an investment, in proportion to its operational water use, into WWF’s Water Balance Programme. The programme encourages water users to take ownership of South Africa’s common water challenge by going beyond reducing their own water consumption to also making an investment back into water provisioning ecosystems,” explains Nel.

“This substantial investment links high level commitments (such as the CEO Water Mandate) to tangible on-the-ground outcomes in some of the highest water yield ecosystems in the country. In addition to increasing water supply, these investments into WWF’s water programmes will also improve water quality, create jobs and contribute to climate change adaptation and resilience.”

Several critical water catchments are recognised in South Africa as the country’s ‘water factories’ based on the high water yield of those catchments. WWF has identified five nodes in which these catchments lie and where the programme will focus its broader water stewardship efforts. These are the upper reaches of the Berg and Breede catchments, the Garden Route from George to Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape; the Kouga in the Eastern Cape; the Umgeni in KwaZulu Natal and the Enkangala Grasslands (Mpumalanga). Nedbank’s R9 million investment will contribute towards work in the latter two catchments.

“When one considers that approximately 3,300 million kilolitres of water is trapped by invasive alien species in South Africa – equating to around 7% of the country’s water run-off – it’s easy to understand how important this investment is in improving water security in our country,” said Brown.

Importantly, he added, this massive amount of water is being prevented from replenishing the water ecosystems upon which our country’s environmental integrity is dependent. It is vital for this water to be freed up to improve water availability in a water-stressed country.

In addition, this initiative supports and complements government’s work in this area through its Working for Water Programme.

Valuable spinoffs also include job creation and support for farmers who show further commitment to environmental sustainability. “Water, energy and food security are inextricably linked and it is a pleasing addition to the programme that we can support the agriculture sector through this work too. We are enthusiastic about this next step in our sustainability journey and hope this encourages other corporates to play their role in making things happen” states Brown.

Source: WWF

It is imperative that renovations comply to the Water By-law

Aspects of the updated City of Cape Town Water By-law has raised some queries amongst residents.

With the ever changing weather patterns associated [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 26 July 2011

It is imperative that renovations comply to the Water By-law

Aspects of the updated City of Cape Town Water By-law has raised some queries amongst residents.

With the ever changing weather patterns associated with climate change, Cape Town remains a water scarce region and the City has a responsibility to ensure its water resources are managed effectively, efficiently, affordably and sustainably. Thus, the City is continually looking for ways to improve and enhance water and wastewater management and service delivery to ensure the availability and reliability of its water resources.

All consumers in water scarce areas should be empowered to save water and reduce their water losses/wastage. The City does this in a combination of different ways:- by providing information through various channels (media, bills, community engagement etc.); by utilising legislation (By-laws, policies) to guide or impose certain limitations; and by direct engagement with water users across the city.

There are some 620 000 domestic water connection points in the city. An ideal situation would be that every one of these premises are visited and inspected to indentify and eliminate water leaks and the discharge of stormwater into the sewers. However, the City does not have the resources to do this for every property.

The Water By-law was updated through a fair and open process, which included public participation. During one of these sessions a member of the public recommended that premises be inspected on transfer of ownership for water wastage. This was very well received as, in the long term, this process will help the City to reach all properties and this is why it was incorporated into the Water By-law.

The requirement that a certificate of compliance needs to be provided by the seller is a great benefit to the buyer as they will have peace of mind that their new home/business/office will be leak free and also free from stormwater to sewer discharges, thus helping them to effectively manage their own water use.

Questions have been raised as to why this certificate of compliance is still required when transfer of ownership is from two owners to one, as in the case for example of a divorce?

“The reason why, is that the property may have had several renovations or changes made to it since the original purchase date and, even if the property will be remaining within the family, it is imperative to ensure that this work complies to the new Water By-law requirements,” explained Councillor Shehaam Sims, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services.

“The ‘trigger’ for the certificate of compliance is the passage of transfer through the Deeds Office and all premises, whether domestic, commercial or industrial, now require a certificate of compliance inspection. In these cases any costs incurred to achieve water compliance should be offset over a relatively short period and the transferee, as well as saving water, will also have peace of mind that the property is water compliant,” Sims added.

Any retrofitting or renovation work involving water fittings must be undertaken by a qualified and registered plumber and in compliance with the new Water By-law.

A copy of the by-law (By-law Water 2010) can be found on the City’s website http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Services/Pages/default.aspx
under By-laws.

Over time therefore, when properties are sold, obtaining a certificate of compliance for water installations will become standard practice.

Source:  City of  Cape Town

Oil companies were today (Tuesday) asked to drop their plans to use hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) to extract shale gas from the Karoo and other areas in South Africa.

Millions of litres of water [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 20 July 2011

Oil companies were today (Tuesday) asked to drop their plans to use hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) to extract shale gas from the Karoo and other areas in South Africa.

Millions of litres of water are needed for fracking - per drilling site.

Speaking at the Shale Gas Conference in Johannesburg, chairman of Treasure Karoo Action Group (TKAG) Jonathan Deal said there was not enough evidence at hand that the potential benefits of fracturing could outweigh the attached risks.

“At this juncture of our history, with climate warming on the increase and increased threats to water supplies it would make corporate and social sense to invest research and development funds in seeking renewable energy alternatives, rather than pursuing finite fossil fuels,” said Deal.

Deal was attending the 2011 Africa Gas and LNG Summit at the Hyatt Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

“TKAG respects due process and the current Cabinet moratorium on fracking. But this should not prevent oil and gas companies, such as Royal Dutch Shell, from changing their minds about fracking,” said Deal.

Deal also said there was not enough transparency about the departmental task team appointed to investigate the merits of fracking. “In the interest of playing open cards, we call on Energy Minister Dipuo Peters to disband this group. Repeated calls on her for clarity about the task team, and its terms of reference, have fallen on deaf ears.”

Deal said that fracking technology needs a rigorous evaluation that takes into account a number of technical, environmental, social, cultural and economic considerations.

He said that if Shell and other oil and gas companies were granted licences to explore or to produce without a comprehensive cost versus benefit evaluation of fracking’s affect, the Karoo could face a social and environmental disaster that would devastate the area and its people.

Issued by HWB Communications (Pty) Ltd on behalf of Treasure Karoo Action Group

Boosting cooperation between countries sharing the waters of the Amu Darya, Central Asia’s longest river, could be key to future peace and security in the region a new report launched today by the United [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 11 July 2011

Boosting cooperation between countries sharing the waters of the Amu Darya, Central Asia’s longest river, could be key to future peace and security in the region a new report launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says.

The Aral Sea, which relies in part from water from the Amu Darya, remains severely degraded. Estimates indicate that "the volume and surface area of the sea have decreased tenfold"

Big hydropower projects planned upstream, demand for irrigated agriculture downstream and growing concern that climate change is shifting weather patterns are emerging as major natural resource challenges for the four main nations involved – Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The new report, prepared by UNEP on behalf of partners in the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC), points out that water resources in the region are already impacted by decades of often unsustainable development dating back to the era of the Soviet Union.

Large-scale engineering projects dammed and diverted substantial flows from the Amu Darya river basin into activities such as cotton, wheat and fodder farming in arid and desert regions. Such projects have also contributed to increased land degradation and damage to soils.

The Aral Sea, which relies in part from water from the Amu Darya, remains severely degraded with the report’s estimates indicating that “the volume and surface area of the sea have now decreased tenfold”.

Water levels in the southern part have dropped by 26 meters and the shoreline there has now receded by several hundred kilometers, says the report Environment and Security in the Amu Darya Basin.

Across the Amu Darya basin there is growing concern over declining water quality with and implications for human health including increased incidence of kidney, thyroid and liver diseases. This is being linked with chemicals run off from cultivated land and the washing of soils in the winter to reduce salt levels.

The report notes that between 1960 and 1990 the average salt content of water in the lower Amu Darya basin more than doubled and “has not improved since”.

Pollution from mining, metals, petroleum and chemicals activities along the river system and air pollution in the form of dust and salt from dried out parts of the Aral Sea are also pinpointed as challenges to human health.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: “As early as 1994, research identified the Amu Darya delta as an environment and security hotspot and these concerns are increasing rather than receding”.

“From a security perspective climate change, water, energy and agriculture constitute the main areas of interest for this report as they reveal the potential for increasing instability and even confrontation as more flows are impounded upstream reducing those water availability and quality downstream,” he added.

“Trust building, re-thinking agricultural production including irrigation systems and fostering cooperation on shared resources and infrastructure will be key to sustainable development in this part of Central Asia. The report sets out clear recommendations on how this can be achieved in a partnership between the countries concerned and the international community,” said Mr Steiner.

The new report details persistent, new and emerging stresses which will require environmental diplomacy to boost cooperation, especially around flashpoints between the nations sharing the Amu Darya.

Climate Change

“Temperatures are projected to rise by 2-3 degrees C in the next 50 years. Such an increase in temperatures could lead to significant environmental changes, some of which are already happening,” says the report based on the special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, The Regional Impacts of Climate Change: An Assessment of Vulnerability.

For example there has been a significant loss of glaciers in the mountains of Central Asia since the latter part of the 20th century which is continuing. Many large glaciers have retreated by several hundred meters and hundreds of small glaciers have vanished altogether.

Along with snow melt and rainfall, the glaciers in locations such as the Pamir Mountains are key to river flows in the Amu Darya.

“With rapid population growth in Central Asia, rising demand for water in agriculture may produce a situation of water scarcity in rivers shared by several countries,” says the report, adding that reduced water flows could also lead to further challenges including impacts on biodiversity, increased silting up of reservoirs and more widespread land degradation.

Irrigated Agriculture

The report notes that water use, a great deal of which is used for irrigated agriculture, is high. Yet only a fraction of the 7,000-12,000 cubic meters per hectare is actually reaching the fields and crops.

Indeed it is estimated that more than half is lost due to, for example, leaks in canals and evaporation.

Countries are acting. Uzbekistan for example has launched several multi-million dollar projects to re-build its part of the irrigation network including pumping stations with the aim of improving the prospects for over 200,000 hectares of irrigated land.

Meanwhile the country is also drafting new water laws and investing in advanced irrigation systems and automated water management technologies to cut consumption.

The report suggests improved ‘hydro-meteorological’ monitoring and forecasting in the upper Amu Darya basin and closer ties in terms of water use between Afghanistan and the other key countries. Currently Afghanistan is outside the regional water management framework.

“Increasing land under irrigation by 20 per cent would increase total Afghan extraction to five-six cubic kilometers. The amount of water extracted – although still slight – is far from negligible particularly in the context of dry years,” says the report.

Meanwhile, part of Afghanistan’s long-term reconstruction plans involve increasing the amount and reliability of energy supplies via new hydropower developments with implications for water supplies downstream.

Hydropower

The report says that “recurrent extreme climatic conditions such as drought and extreme winter temperatures, combined with an increase in domestic and regional energy demand, have convinced upstream countries that it is necessary to develop their energy resources, especially hydropower”.

Afghanistan and Tajikistan for example are discussing plans to build the large 4,000 MW Dusht-i-Jum hydropower station on the Panj River, a tributary of the Amu Darya.

Tajikistan has also has resumed development of the Rogun dam on another tributary, the Vakhsh River, which will add 3,600 MW to the country’s installed energy capacity.

“These projects have prompted a strong reaction from downstream countries,’ says the report.

Recommendations

The report acknowledges that governments in the region are starting to move on many of the challenges but that a great deal more can be achieved to promote cooperative sustainable development and reduce tensions over finite natural resources.

It suggests that a good first step would be for relevant nations to ratify the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.

This would serve the objective of establishing a legal framework and accountability for the collective management of the Amu Darya basin’s resources.

The report also calls for more exchange of information between countries on proposed transbounary projects that may impact the Amu Darya as one important mechanism for building trust and promoting cooperation.

Countries in the region should consider burden sharing in terms of maintaining water infrastructure while also promoting water efficiency measures and technologies.

Consultation on the costs and principles underpinning a fair, properly operated and balanced water systems should be carried out by the riparian states.

Modernization of regional energy systems and electricity grids should continue which, backed by improved energy efficiency and the development of alternative energy sources could reduce the need for increased hydropower projects.

Source: UNEP

By Kristin Palitza

South African scientists have developed an environmentally friendly method to clean highly toxic water and convert it into drinkable water. Once available commercially, the method could drastically reduce the negative impact [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 07 July 2011

By Kristin Palitza

South African scientists have developed an environmentally friendly method to clean highly toxic water and convert it into drinkable water. Once available commercially, the method could drastically reduce the negative impact industry has on water pollution worldwide.

Eutectic freeze crystallisation could be used in the mining sector

Called eutectic freeze crystallisation, the technique freezes acidic water – or brine – to produce potable or drinking water as well as useful salts, such as sodium and calcium sulphate.

Alison Lewis, professor for chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, who has led the research since 2007, claims 99.9 percent of the polluted water can be reused after applying the new technique. Unlike other water cleaning methods, it practically doesn’t produce any toxic waste.

“It’s an environmentally friendly and cost-effective technology that can be used pretty much in all industrial sectors that pollute water and thus produce brine,” explains Lewis. This includes sectors like mining, the oil and gas industry, chemical industry, paper processing or sewerage.

The simultaneous separation and purification method is based on bringing the contaminated water temperature down to reach its eutectic point – the lowest possible temperature of solidification. At this point, toxins crystallise to form salts and sink to the ground, while the clean water turns into ice, floating on the surface.

“By its nature, ice is the purest form of water because it repels any impurities. It’s actually very simple,” explains Lewis. “The method is ecologically significant because it can turn toxic waste into a useful product.”

Industrial firms in South Africa, but also in Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia have already expressed interest in the new approach, she says.

The water purification method has also received support from the South African Water Research Commission. “Eutectic freeze crystallisation is a brilliant water recycling method that is superior to all existing methods for cleaning toxic water,” confirms the commission’s research manager Dr. Jo Burgess.

Up until now, industrially polluted water is purified using two methods: the brine is either stored in huge evaporation ponds, which bring the danger of ground water pollution, or through an evaporation- based crystallisation method, that uses huge amounts of electricity. Eutectic freeze crystallisation, however, uses six times less electricity than the conventional evaporation method, says Lewis.

“In addition, both existing methods leave toxic waste products behind and are therefore not ecologically sustainable,” notes Burgess. Conventional methods produce poisonous solids, the accumulation of all toxins in the brine, that then need to be disposed of correctly.

Eutectic freeze crystallisation, in contrast, produces 99 percent usable products – clean water and pure salts. “It is therefore completely environmentally friendly,” says Lewis. She points out that companies can make additional revenue from selling those salts, hoping this will be an additional incentive to use the new method.

Recycling scare water resources also makes economic sense. A report of the Green Economy Initiative (GEI) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – which assists governments in shaping policies, investments and spending towards a range of green sectors, including clean technologies, industry, renewable energies and water services – shows that every dollar invested in safe water, creates health, social and ecological “revenue” worth three to 34 dollars.

“Investing in clean water will pay multiple dividends,” promises UNEP executive director Achim Steiner. “Meeting the wastewater challenge is not a luxury but a prudent, practical and transformative act, able to boost public health, secure the sustainability of natural resources and trigger employment in better, more intelligent water management.”

In South Africa, eutectic freeze crystallisation could be used in the mining sector, which has for decades produced more brine than companies can recycle. Mining is the most important sector of the economy of the country, which is rich in gold, platinum, diamonds and coal. For years, the polluted water has been stored all across the country in huge evaporation ponds.

“The problem is that we produce much more brine than we can evaporate. And even if we succeeded to evaporate it all, non-recycable waste materials would remain. Evaporation ponds are therefore not a sustainable, ecological solution,” warns Burgess.

Eutectic freeze crystallisation could save the South African government huge sums of money. The department of environmental affairs recently announced it needs at least 30 million dollars to drain brine from only the biggest mining areas around country’s main city Johannesburg.

Acid mine water is standing in the canals of Gauteng, the province in which Johannesburg is located, only 500 metres below the surface and its disposal should be made top priority, warned environment minister Edna Molewa.

Unfortunately, it might take another four to six years until the eutectic freeze crystallisation method will be available for use by private industry. Lewis’ research team plans to build a pilot site later this year. The 1.3 million dollar project is supposed to become operational within the next two to three years and will be able to purify one cubic meter of brine per hour. After the pilot stage, it will take another two to three years to develop the technology for industry use.

Source: IPS

Professor Jenny Day, director of the Freshwater Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, said much has to be done to ensure that the Mother City does not dry up.

The Table [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 17 June 2011

Professor Jenny Day, director of the Freshwater Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, said much has to be done to ensure that the Mother City does not dry up.

The Table Mountain fossil aquifer has been there for millions of years. Extraction would permanently reduce the amount of water.

This could even include pumping water from under Table Mountain.

“The Table Mountain Series Aquifer stretches from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town and up to the Cederberg. We think there is an awful lot of water but we don’t know what we can exploit without causing any damage. Or how much of it would be replaced by rainfall,” she said.

The city is currently investigating this option.

Day’s views have been backed up by the Department of Water Affairs which on Monday announced that the Western Cape could face dire water shortages within the next six years.

But these shortages will not bring the city to a grinding halt if Capetonians “use water more sparingly”.

In the mid-1980s, Day co-authored Vanishing Waters, in which he predicted that, by about 2015, many of the country’s larger cities will experience permanent drought conditions.

According to the department’s latest Western Cape water supply system study, few surface water development options are available “for augmenting water supply to the City of Cape Town and surrounding towns”.

“Population growth and the subsequent growth in the economy have been identified as major factors that are placing exponential strain on the water available for users,” the department said in a statement.

“The users include the City of Cape Town, as well as municipalities of Stellenbosch, Drakenstein, Swartland and Saldanha as well as agricultural users.”

But it is not all doom and gloom for the city. Millions have been invested in infrastructure upgrades and replacements, water metering and water pressure management among other measures to reduce water losses.

The city also plans next month to issue a tender for a feasibility study to build a “large scale” seawater desalination plant. And feasibility studies on a large-scale re-use programme are also on the cards.

Day said desalination, although expensive, was not far off.

“In my opinion it is going to have to happen in Cape Town not very long from now. But because it is so expensive, they have to look at other options first.”

Phil Mashoko, director of water and sanitation for the city, said it was pivotal to start planning for the future supply of water.

“There is no reason for people to panic. We are being proactive by putting plans in place now to ensure that we don’t run out of water six years from now,” Mashoko said.

Last year the city embarked on a water conservation campaign which will be intensified.

Source: Times Live
Related arcticel: Desalinated sea water for city in four years

By: Sarah Wild – guest of Royal Dutch Shell in Wyoming

Having seen a natural gas extraction facility that works — and, despite its problems, Shell’s onshore natural gas development in Pinedale, Wyoming, works [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 15 June 2011

By: Sarah Wild – guest of Royal Dutch Shell in Wyoming

Having seen a natural gas extraction facility that works — and, despite its problems, Shell’s onshore natural gas development in Pinedale, Wyoming, works — it is not certain whether natural gas extraction will be the holy grail of energy and the employment cash cow that SA expects it to be.

Wyoming’s Pinedale anticline raises new concerns about natural gas extraction

The country has been divided since it became public that Shell and several other energy companies had fixed their gaze on the Karoo and the shale gas reserves far beneath its surface.

Some have argued that it will solve SA’s energy crisis, ensuring a fuel supply for about 200 years; help the country move away from its dependence on coal; and create “unprecedented” employment.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, SA has technically recoverable shale gas resources of 13,7-trillion cubic metres, which could allow it to be energy independent.

The 1,1-trillion cubic metres of natural gas from the Pinedale Anticline can supply 10-million homes with electricity for more than 30 years.

Others have said natural gas would simply reinforce SA’s dependence on fossil fuels and cause irreparable environmental damage to an area with world- renowned biodiversity.

The Pinedale facility debunks a number of the myths but raises new concerns about natural gas extraction, including the contentious technique of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”.

A natural gas well costs about $3m to drill and frack, depending on its depth. Perhaps the most important aspect of natural gas exploration is that the techniques used — from drilling to the composition of the chemicals — vary according to the geography, geology and temperature, among other variables, of the area. A well, which can be up to 2km deep, is drilled into the ground, with a mixture of diesel-based lubricants, biocides and water to reduce friction.

Most of the “flowback” — a fluid containing the drilling mixture, natural gas and solids — is regurgitated back into the drill hole. At Pinedale, this flowback is filtered and reused.

Once the well has been dug, cylinders with explosive charges are lowered into the hole. The charges are detonated, perforating the rock. Only then does the fracking occur. A water solution of fracking chemicals and sand is injected into the well under high pressure, making fissures in the rock about 3cm wide. Once again, flowback emerges from the well. Shell engineers say nearly all of this fluid is recovered over time.

Both of these processes — drilling and fracking — require fresh water. This is the first major, and possibly insurmountable, hurdle for natural gas exploration in SA. The Pinedale facility uses ground water for drilling. Although it is filtered after use, it cannot be recycled for drinking; it can only be reused in the drilling and fracking processes.

While the Pinedale area has about 1500 lakes as well as rivers running through it, the Karoo is semi-arid. In fact, SA as a whole is considered semi-arid, with its water resources under stress.

One fracking stage can use up to 20000 barrels of water — about 2,3-million litres — and a well can have up to 14 fracking stages, which could translate into 32-million litres of water. Moreover, in SA, Shell alone has applied to drill 24 wells, eight wells on three different sites.

That translates into a possible 772,8-million litres of water, about 300 Olympic swimming pools.

In Pinedale, Shell points out that 60% of the water it uses is recycled from previously used fluid. However, natural gas development has been taking place in Pinedale for more than 60 years, with Shell occupying rigs for more than 10 years.

There is well-developed infrastructure — kilometres of piping, water treatment facilities — that allows it to recycle its water, as well as economies of scale that make it feasible.

SA does not have this, and, yes, it would be able to build it up over time, but the country does not have the water to waste.

The first step in natural gas development is exploring for the gas, which requires the wells to be drilled. This means that the water used in these initial stages — the millions of litres of water — would not be salvageable.

Perhaps the largest myth surrounding natural gas exploration in SA is that it would be an engine of job creation.

Shell’s Pinedale facility, which houses 425 wells, has a staff of 66. Most of its work — drilling, fracking, water filtering — is outsourced to specialist companies. SA, which does not have a natural gas industry, would have to bring in foreign skills .

There is the possibility of secondary job creation, but that would start to gain traction only after the initial exploration phase, which takes about three years. However, those jobs may come at the expense of other s as it may not be possible for agriculture and tourism — the revenue generators in the Eastern Cape — and mining to co-exist. But that would become apparent only after production had begun.

As would be the unintended consequences of natural gas development. Citizens in Pinedale have experienced spiking ozone levels as a direct result of natural gas development. These cause respiratory problems in children and the elderly. An engineer on the Pinedale site said the problem could not have been foreseen since it was unique to the area.

This raises the question: if the techniques and chemicals used in natural gas exploration vary according to location, is it possible to rule out that exploration on each new site could result in unexpected and possibly fatal consequences?

However, since natural gas exploration has been taking place in the US for decades, it is fairly well regulated. The federal government employs two staff members who take readings daily from different locations around the anticline, monitoring fugitive gas emissions and water quality.

The question then is whether SA has the capacity to monitor natural gas exploration with the vigilance it requires.

Even before that, SA needs regulation to govern the exploration and development of these resources. Then the country can decide whether Shell and the other hopeful companies meet the necessary criteria — rather than the other way round.

Natural gas exploration works in some places, but it is uncertain — given the lack of a natural gas industry, water scarcity and the absence of regulation — whether it will work here.

Source: Business Day

Climate change will have major impacts on the availability of water for growing food and on crop productivity in the decades to come, warns a new FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 09 June 2011

Climate change will have major impacts on the availability of water for growing food and on crop productivity in the decades to come, warns a new FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations] report.

Loss of glaciers will eventually impact the amount of surface water available for agriculture

‘Climate Change, Water, and Food Security’ is a comprehensive survey of existing scientific knowledge on the anticipated consequences of climate change for water use in agriculture.

These include reductions in river runoff and aquifer recharges in the Mediterranean and the semi-arid areas of the Americas, Australia and southern Africa — regions that are already water-stressed. In Asia, large areas of irrigated land that rely on snowmelt and mountain glaciers for water will also be affected, while heavily populated river deltas are at risk from a combination of reduced water flows, increased salinity, and rising sea levels.

Additional impacts described in the report:

An acceleration of the world’s hydrological cycle is anticipated as rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation from land and sea. Rainfall will increase in the tropics and higher latitudes, but decrease in already dry semi-arid to mid-arid latitudes and in the interior of large continents. A greater frequency in droughts and floods will need to be planned for but already, water scarce areas of the world are expected to become drier and hotter.

Even though estimates of groundwater recharge under climate change cannot be made with any certainty, the increasing frequency of drought can be expected to encourage further development of available groundwater to buffer the production risk for farmers.

And the loss of glaciers – which support around 40 percent of the world’s irrigation — will eventually impact the amount of surface water available for agriculture in key producing basins

Increased temperatures will lengthen the growing season in northern temperate zones but will reduce the length almost everywhere else. Coupled with increased rates of evapotranspiration this will cause the yield potential and water productivity of crops to decline.

“Both the livelihoods of rural communities as well as the food security of city populations are at risk,” said FAO Assistant Director General for Natural Resources, Alexander Mueller. “But the rural poor, who are the most vulnerable, are likely to be disproportionately affected.”

Responding to the challenge

FAO’s report also looks at actions that can be taken by national policymakers, regional and local watershed authorities, and individual farmers to respond to these new challenges.

One key area requiring attention is improving the ability of countries to implement effective systems for ‘water accounting’ – the thorough measurement of water supplies, transfers, and transactions in order to inform decisions about how water resources  can be managed and used under increasing variability.

“Water accounting in most developing countries is very limited, and allocation procedures are non existent, ad hoc, or poorly developed,” the report says. “Helping developing countries acquire good water accounting practices and developing robust and flexible water allocations systems will be a first priority.”

At the farm level, growers can change their cropping patterns to allow earlier or later planting, reducing their water use and optimizing irrigation. Yields and productivity can be improved by shifting to soil moisture conservation practices, including zero- and minimum tillage. Planting deep-rooted crops would allow farmers to better exploit available soil moisture.

Mixed agroforestry systems also hold promise. These systems both sequester carbon and also offer additional benefits such as shade that reduces ground temperatures and evaporation, added wind protection, and improved soil conservation and water retention.

However, FAO’s report also stresses that small-scale producers in developing countries will face an uphill struggle in adopting such strategies.

“Farm size and access to capital set the limits for the scope and extent of adaptation and change at farm level,” it warns, noting that already today many developing world farms produce yields far below their agro-climatic potential.

Zooming in on hotspots

FAO also warns that far too little is known about how climate change impacts on water for agriculture will play out at the regional and sub-regional level, and where farmers will be most at risk.

“Greater precision and focus is needed to understand the nature, scope and location of climate change impacts on developing country water resources for agriculture,” the report says, adding: “Mapping vulnerability is a key task at national and regional levels.”

Source: FAO