The Directorate: Water Use and Efficiency (formerly known as Water Conservation) was created in response to a new approach to the management of South Africa's water resources. Since its inception in 1998, it has promoted the efficient and sustainable use of water resources. It has pioneered the integration of water conservation and water demand management into the behavioural processes and business culture of all sectors and spheres of South African society. The National Water Conservation and Water Demand Management Strategy (NWC/WDMS) is a further step in the endeavour to promote water as a primary, yet scarce, resource that should be intrinsically valued.

 

Population growth has had a detrimental effect on the amount of water used in the world today. Climate change has impacted water supplies in South Africa. Rains that usually come to supply the country’s water have occurred very infrequently, leading to South Africa now experiencing its worst drought in history. Additionally, as more and more people migrate into cities from rural villages, the pressure for the city to meet water demands is ever increasing. All forms of life on Earth have always depended on water for survival, and today water holds the key to survival in the future as well. There is no more important time than now to conserve water, as our very future depends on it.

Reduce Water Consumption