Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water resources in South Africa are limited and groundwater plays an important role in
supporting basic human needs, sustaining ecosystems and enabling industrial and agricultural
development. Sound management practices are necessary to ensure sustainable development
of water resources. All groundwater usage must be licensed in compliance with the National
Water Act of 1998. A Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) can be used to assist in the
groundwater usage licensing process of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
(DWAF).
The main aim of this study was to develop a SDSS, named Groundwater Abstraction &
Licence Evaluation Tool (GALET), that could assist in the process of allocating water use
licences and determining the local impact of abstraction, based on existing theory and data.
The development was done within ArcView 3.2 using the scripting language Avenue. The
Sandveld, an arid stretch of land along the west coast of South Africa that is heavily impacted
by groundwater abstraction, was the chosen study area. The data collected for this study
included existing borehole, recharge, rainfall and geological information.
GALET proved to be capable of calculating essential information needed to evaluate
groundwater abstraction, which included drawdown in the water table, zone of influence and
the possible effects on features such as rivers and wetlands. Targeted potential users regarded
GALET as a useful tool in the process of licensing and groundwater abstraction impact
assessment and plans are under way to implement GALET or a derivative thereof at the
DWAF regional offices. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Waterhulpbronne in Suid-Afrika is beperk en grondwater speel 'n belangrike rol in die
ondersteuning van basiese menslike behoeftes, volhouding van ekosisteme asook industriële
en landbou-ontwikkeling. Betroubare bestuurspraktyke is noodsaaklik om die volhoubare
ontwikkeling van waterhulpbronne te verseker. Alle grondwatergebruik moet volgens die
Nasionale Waterwet van 1998 gelisensieer word. 'n Ruimtelike Besluitnemings
Ondersteuning Stelsel (RBOS) kan as 'n hulpmiddel gebruik word in die lisensiëringsproses
van die Departement van Waterwese en Bosbou.
Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om 'n RBOS, genoem Groundwater Abstraction &
Licence Evaluation Tool (GALET), te ontwikkel wat as hulpmiddel gebruik kan word in die
allokeringsproses van watergebruiklisensies en die bepaling van die impak van
grondwateronttrekking op die omgewing, gebaseer op bestaande teorie en data. Die
ontwikkeling is in ArcView 3.2 met die programmeringstaal Avenue gedoen. Die Sandveld,
'n ariede streek aan die weskus van Suid-Afrika wat onderhewig is aan grootskaalse
grondwateronttrekking, is gekies as die studie area. Die data wat vir hierdie studie ingesamel
is sluit bestaande boorgat, grondwateraanvulling, reënval en geologiese inligting in.
GALET was in staat om belangrike inligting aangaande die evaluering van
grondwateronttrekking te bereken, o.a. die daling van die grondwatervlak, die impaksone en
die moontlike effekte op landvorms soos riviere en vleilande. Die teikengroep potensiële
gebruikers het GALET as 'n nuttige hulpmiddel in die proses van lisensiëring en
grondwateronttrekking impakbepaling beskou en planne is onderweg om dit of 'n aangepaste
program by die streekskantore van die Departement van Waterwese en Bosbou te
implementeer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50279 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Basson, F. C. (Frederick Christoffel) |
| Contributors | Van Niekerk, A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 58 p. : ill. maps |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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