The Port of Durban is a resource utilised by a wide range of stakeholders. The water quality of this resource is a prerequisite for sustaining the preferred uses of the bay for future generations. Given the extent of development in the port the abundance of fauna and flora is remarkable. Based on the current literature available the management of the port uses a combination of international and local standards to manage the water resource. An associated problem however is that the local legislation does not address the heart of the pollution problem - the polluter. This is highlighted in all chapters of this thesis, as the South African water quality guidelines are not legally enforceable, and do not take into account the combined use of resources. The uncontrolled nutrient loads and pollution present in the port system could ultimately affect the ecosystem health. This is amplified by apparent inability of officials to protect the receiving environment of the Port of Durban. The subsequent condition of water quality in the port compared with the Department of Water Affairs guidelines indicates that there is less than 5% compliance with the target water quality variables. in comparing the same water quality to international water quality Legislation the compliance percentage increased marginally, however the bacterial contamination and nutrient contamination of the resource is apparent even with more relaxed international comparisons. The noticeable cause was clearly evident when comparing results, indicating extensive unacceptable bacterial and nutrient contamination emanating from stormwater systems from the city of Durban, and highly urbanised river catchments. Based on the water quality results it is highly recommended that sustainable environmental management practices be implemented to protect and address the water resource. The metropolitan authorities need to investigate the origins of the stormwater pollution and dialogue must ensue between Portnet and the City to reach consensus on receiving water quality objectives with the aim of compiling a water management policy. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Coastal systems like lagoons and estuaries are faced with severe human developmental endeavours. In South Africa, more than 30% of the population lives along the 3000 kilometer coastline. The Durban bay is no exception especially with the existing Durban harbour taking up the natural expanse of the bay. The bay is burdened with a diversity of anthropogenic endeavours, from port operations to industrial activities, to storm water drainage outlets, through to various recreational ventures. These activities have over the years caused a reduction of the bay‘s mangrove forest, reduced the population of some biota and caused extinction of some indigenous species. Five areas were selected based on the specific activities and infrastructure that occurred there. Samples of water from these pre-selected sites were collected routinely and analysed for their water quality status. The overall water quality within the bay compared with the DWAF water quality guidelines for South Africa was identified as below stipulated standards. The dissolved oxygen contents as well as nutrients in the form of nitrogen content in its assorted forms are some of the most affected water quality indicators. The majority of the sub standard water quality levels, indicators which are critical to the proper functioning, growth and reproduction of biota within the ecosystems of the bay obtained could be linked directly or indirectly to the activities within the area of sampling. The resultant chemical and physical conditions in water quality created as a result of the ongoing activities within the bay are not suitable for proper feeding, growth and reproduction of ecosystems. This has caused many species within the bay to migrate or adapt to the adverse conditions and such situations are likely to worsen if stringent measures are not taken in the near future. It appears that the some species are exhibiting some degree of resilience and are at the moment surviving the relatively harsh conditions within the bay. The long term effect of the ever expanding anthropogenic disturbances on the ecosystems are unpredictable and it is therefore imperative that more stringent environmental management plans, programs and policies, legally binding, are formulated to serve as a check on all who benefit from the bay‘s resources. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

No description available.

<p>Enacted in 1998, the New South African Water Act has introduced a new approach to water resource management, founded on the principle of decentralization of the management of water resources to regional and local levels and the public participation. The approach has been captured in the new National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998), which allows the establishment of Catchment Management Agencies. The overall purpose of this study was to understand the trends of public participation in the establishment of Catchment Management Agencies in South Africa, by presenting the case of the Berg Catchment Management Agency.</p>

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-149). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography)) - Rhodes University, 2009.

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2006. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 19, 2006). Thesis advisor: Joanne Logan. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The provision of goods and services by aquatic ecosystems plays an important role in socio-economic development and livelihoods in the southern African region. Water resource management in South Africa developed from an agrarian and pastoral focus up to 1956 to also supporting mining and industrial activities. This led to the introduction of the resource water quality objectives and pollution prevention approaches, which balanced the needs for development and protection. Prior to 1994, access to water resources was limited to riparian property owners and a minority of the population who controlled industrial and mining activities. The establishment of a democratic government amplified the need for accelerated socio-economic development, with equity, efficiency and sustainability being the principles of such development. New approaches were needed, which could achieve these development objectives and secure the resource base for future generations. An overview of the scientific process highlighted a risk based approach as potentially supporting the much needed balance between development and protection. The aims of this thesis is to develop a framework and process for the application of ecological risk assessment to water resource management in South Africa, to use case studies to draft guidelines for ecological risk assessment and to assess the degree to which ecological risk assessment can contribute to effective water resource management in South Africa. The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines for ecological risk assessment were identified amongst international best practice as meeting the requirements for local application. A framework was drafted for ecological risk assessment in South Africa, with the main phases being to agree on objectives, formulate the analysis plan, analyse information, characterise risk and manage risk. Modifications from the Environmental Protection Agency’s process include the order of activities in the first phase, the explicit testing of hypotheses and clarification of the evaluation of existing data or collection of new data. An industrial effluent case study was used to assess the applicability of the proposed framework. The case study dealt specifically with the assessment of risks posed by current conditions and long term licence conditions. The framework was found to be useful to identify weaknesses in the established monitoring programme and to evaluate lines of evidence to assess the degree to which the stated conditions would have unacceptable consequences. The study highlighted several weaknesses in the suggested framework, of which the most critical is the interpretation of the risk hypothesis as a testable null hypothesis. It became clear that cause-effect relationships should be stated as the risk hypothesis, whereas the assessment should evaluate expressed or expected conditions against a risk profile for a given stressor to benefit fully from the risk assessment approach. Changes to the framework terminology were suggested as well as nested feedback loops to allow for iterative processes where new information becomes available. The proposed guidelines incorporate the learning from the case study application as well as feedback from a peer review process. The guidelines incorporate the suggested actions under each phase as well as notes providing the rationale for each step. Three case study outlines were provided to assist users with the interpretation of the guidelines in different applications. The proposed guidelines are applied in an ecological Reserve determination case study, which specified the ecological water quality requirements. The study found that a risk-based approach was followed in the development of the water resource management policy, but the Reserve determination method is generally hazard based, with site specific modifications of the target values being allowed on a conservative basis. The case study highlighted a lack of readiness of water resource managers to accommodate scientific results expressed as probability distributions in support of management decisions. The thesis is concluded with a discussion of the key learning points of the ecological risk assessment development process. The evaluation highlights the move from stating and testing a null hypothesis to stating the risk hypothesis and evaluating the stated conditions against a risk profile. Several implementation challenges are highlighted, with specific recommendations made for adopting the proposed guidelines.

The introduction of instream biological monitoring to water resources management has been an increasing trend world-wide. This monitoring uses biological field assessments of instream biota such as macroinvertebrates, fish and riparian vegetation as an integrated and sensitive tool for diagnosing the condition of the ecosystems and assessing ecological impacts. Biomonitoring information has become an important component in the overall assessment of water resources and is used to drive and direct processes of decision-making and management of water resources. The River Health Programme (RHP) was initiated in South Africa to serve as a source of information regarding the ecological status of river systems, in order to support rational management of these natural resources. In this study, biomonitoring indices (SASS5 and FAII) were used to assess the present ecological status of two rivers located in contrasting catchments of the Eastern Cape. The first river is the Buffalo River located in an urban and industrialized catchment. The second river is the Inxu River draining a rural and afforested catchment. SASS5 was used successfully in both rivers and the results based on water quality and SASS5 indicated that most sites selected on the upper catchment of the Buffalo River have a fair water quality with most sites selected on the lower catchment having a poor water quality. The Inxu River sites (both upper and lower catchment) based on SASS5 and water quality results have a good to fair water quality. The majority of sites sampled on both rivers systems had very low FAII scores and fell within a critically modified water quality category. This result may be due to the fact that these rivers have low fish diversities (either low natural diversity or low diversity due to the presence of alien fish species), poor water quality or inadequate sampling methods. Observations from this study suggest that this index may not be suitable for rivers with low fish diversity. A fish index that is usable to all ecoregions of South Africa with minor adaptations to suit local conditions is still needed, as the present FAII index does not meet these requirements.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Este estudo teve como objetivo realizar o monitoramento da qualidade da água e a avaliação da capacidade de autodepuração da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Ligeiro, desde uma das nascentes até a confluência com o Rio Chopim. Estabeleceram-se seis pontos de monitoramento (PM01 a PM06) ao longo do percurso. Foram realizadas coletas de amostras de água nas diferentes estações do ano de 2017, sendo que as amostras foram enviadas para avaliações dos seguintes parâmetros: temperatura, turbidez, sólidos totais, potencial de hidrogênio (pH), demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO), oxigênio dissolvido (OD), nitrogênio total, fósforo total e coliformes termotolerantes. Além disso, foram realizadas as medições hidráulicas-hidrológicas em todos os PMs. De posse dos resultados das análises laboratoriais, comparou-se com os padrões de qualidade estabelecidos na Resolução do Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente (CONAMA) nº 357/2005, e calculou-se o Índice de Qualidade da Água (IQA), sendo calibrado o modelo QUAL-UFMG para a avaliação da capacidade de autodepuração. O monitoramento da qualidade da água indicou que alguns parâmetros, principalmente a DBO, não atendem às condições e padrões de qualidade estabelecidos na Resolução do CONAMA nº 357/2005 em quase todo o percurso do rio. Os melhores níveis de qualidade, com base no IQA, foram observados na estação de verão e outono, enquadrando-se no nível ótimo. Portanto, o IQA está relacionado às condições de vazão, tendo em vista que nas campanhas de baixa e alta pluviosidade foram encontrados os menores níveis de qualidade. Em relação à modelagem da qualidade da água na campanha de inverno, foi a que apresentou maior grau de deterioração da qualidade, com baixos níveis de OD e elevada concentração de DBO, (principalmente no trecho localizado após o perímetro urbano e do lançamento pontual de efluentes), indicando que no período de estiagem reduz-se a capacidade de diluição da água frente aos despejos de efluentes. Conclui-se que o Rio Ligeiro se encontra deteriorado desde a nascente e que a sua capacidade de autodepuração apresenta condições críticas no período de menor vazão. Desse modo, medidas preventivas e corretivas devem ser implementadas no controle da qualidade da água. / The objective of this study it was to monitor water quality and to evaluate the self-depuration capacity of hydrographic basin of the Ligeiro River, from the one of its sources until the confluence with the Chopim River. It was established six monitoring points (PM01 to PM06) along of the route. Samples collecting were realized in the different seasons of the year 2017, and they were sent to the laboratory for analysis of the following parameters: temperature, turbidity, total solids, potential of hydrogen (pH), oxygen biochemical demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), total nitrogen, total phosphorus and thermotolerant coliforms. In addition, the hydraulic-hydrological measurements were performed in all PMs. Based on the results of the laboratory analyses, they were compared with the quality standards established by National Council of Environment (CONAMA, in Portuguese) nº 357/2005, also being calculated the Water Quality Index (WQI) and done the calibration of the QUAL-UFMG, namely the model that was used to evaluate the self-depuration capacity. The monitoring of water quality indicated that some parameters, principally the BOD, don't meet to the conditions and quality standards established by CONAMA Resolution nº 357/2005 in almost all the river course. Based on the WQI, the highest levels of quality were observed in the summer and autumn season, being framed at an optimum level. Therefore, the WQI is related to the flow conditions, considering that the lower quality levels were found in the campaigns related to the low and high rainfall. In relation to the modelling of water quality in the winter season, it was one that presented the highest degree of quality deterioration, with low levels of DO and high concentration of BOD, mainly in the stretch located after the urban perimeter and of point release of effluents, indicating that, in the period of drought, the dilution capacity of water is reduced in relation to the effluent discharges. It concludes that the Ligeiro River is deteriorated from its source, and that its self-depuration capacity presents critical conditions in the period of lower flow. That way, preventive and corrective measures must be implemented in the control of water quality.