During the period 29 January - 7 February Petra Hellegers visited South-Africa for the kick-off of the project 'Combining remote sensing and economic analysis to assess water productivity: A case study in the Inkomati Basin' [link naar folder]. The project is funded by the Partners for Water Programme, a joint initiative of six departments of the Dutch government. The programme aims to strengthen the international position of the Dutch water sector by uniting forces (companies, departments, NGOs and knowledge institutes). The project is conducted in close collaboration with WaterWatch [link] (a Wageningen-based scientific advisory firm, active in the niche of remote sensing and water resources management) which started in January 2006 and will be finalised in July 2006.
South Africa’s water allocation reform (WAR) process is tasked with promoting equity, addressing poverty, generating economic growth and creating jobs. It is, however, not yet clear what the impact is of water reallocations on these multiple objectives. In this project the focus will be on the trade-offs between commercial and subsistence farmers and the environment. The usefulness of combining remote sensing and socio-economic analysis to assess the biophysical, economic and social productivity implications of water reallocations will be demonstrated in this project. Such insights can support the decision making process about water allocations by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and Catchment Management Agencies in South Africa.