Commercial forestry in South Africa generates a considerable amount of foreign exchange and employment. It is hence considered as one engine of growth of the economy and has enjoyed a special status in the past. However, the success of the industry is based on its use of water. The industry uses some 8% of utilizable available water in the country but does not pay for it. The National Water Act of 1998 treats water as a strategic resource and demands that it should be priced. This has sparked a debate on the issue of water use and pricing in the commercial forestry sector. Should the industry pay for water or rainfall as it reduces run-off to the disadvantage of downstream users? This article explores the historical debate on water use regulation and its effectiveness and discusses the current attempts to address the issue of efficient water use in the commercial forestry industry.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anonymous (1998). ‘Water Pricing in South Africa’, Commonwealth Forestry News, 2, 7–8.
2.
BassonM.S.Van NiekerkP.H.van RooyenJ.A. (1997). Overview of Water ResourcesAvailability and Utilization in South Africa, BKS (Pvt) Limited, Under the Direction of DWAF, South Africa.
3.
BoschJ.M.GadewYon, K. (1990). ‘Regulating Afforestation for Water Conservation in South Africa’, South African Forestry Journal, 153, 41–54.
4.
Committee (1935). Report of the Committee on Forests in relation to Climate, Water Conservation and Erosion to the Empire Forestry Conference, South Africa, 1935. Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Forestry Series No. 3, Government Printer, Pretoria.
5.
Department of Water Affairs (1986). Management of Water Resources of the RSA, CTP Book Printers for Government Printers, Cape Town.
6.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (1997). White Paper on Environmental Management Policy, RSA, Pretoria.
7.
DyeP.BoschJ.M. (2000). ‘Sustainable Water Yield in Afforested Catchments: The South African Experience’, in van GadurK.PukkalaT.TomeM. (eds), Sustainable Forest Management, 99–120. Dordretch: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
8.
Forest Owners Association (2000). 30th Annual Report, FDA, Johannesburg.
9.
ForsythG.G.VersfeldD.B.ChapmanR.A.FowlesB.K. (1997). The Hydrological Implications of Afforestation in the North-Eastern Cape: A Survey of Resources and Assessment of the Impact of Land-use Change, Water Research Commission, WRC Report No. 511/1/ 97, Pretoria.
10.
GasanaC. (1999). A Profile and an Analysis of South African Commercial Forestry Industry with Special Emphasis on Exploring Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), Mcom Dissertation, Division of Economics, University of Natal, Durban.
11.
GleickP.H. (2000). ‘The Changing Water Paradigm: A Look at Twenty-first Century Water Resources Development’, Water International, 25, 127–138.
12.
Government Gazette 20615 (12November, 1999). A Pricing Strategy for Raw Water Use Charges, Pretoria.
13.
GushM.B.ScottD. F.JewittG.P.W.SchulzeR.E.LumsdenT.HallowesL.A.GorgensH.M. (2001). Estimation of Streamflow Reductions Resulting from Commercial Afforestation in South Africa. Pretoria: Water Research Commission and Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.
14.
HewlettJ.D.HibbertA.R. (1961). ‘Increases in Water Yield after Several Types of Forest Cutting’, International Association of Science and Hydrology, 6, 5–17.
15.
HibbertA.R. (1967). ‘Forest Treatment Effects on Water Yield’, in SopperW. E.LullH. W. (eds), Forest Hydrology, 257–543. New York: Pergamon Press.
16.
JewittG. (2002). ‘The 8%–4% Debate: Commercial Afforestation and Water Use in South Africa’, Southern African Forestry Journal, 194,1–5.
17.
KaplanD.LewisD.KaplinskyR.JoeffA. (1995). Of Improving Performance in South Africa: Report of the Industrial Strategy Project. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press.
18.
KingN.L. (1938). ‘Historical Sketch of the Development of Forestry in South Africa’, South African Forestry Journal, 1, 4–16.
19.
Le RouxS.D. (1990). ‘The Impact of Afforestation on the Agricultural Resources of Natal’, in ErskineJ. (ed.), The Physical, Social, and Economic Impacts of Large Scale Afforestation in Natal/KwaZulu, 10–17. Pietermaritzburgh: Proceedings of the Forestry Impacts Workshop, 8 May, Institute of Natural Resources.
20.
MalherbeH.L. (1968). Report of the of the Interdepartmental Committee of Investigation into Afforestation and Water Supplies in South Africa. Pretoria: Department of Forestry.
21.
MidgleyD.C.PitmanW.V. (1969). Surface Water Sources of South Africa. Report No. 2/69, Hydrology Research Unit, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
22.
Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry (1996). Sustainable Forest Development in South Africa: The Policy of the Government of National Unity, White Paper Pretoria, March.
23.
NanniU.W. (1970a). ‘Trees, Water and Perspective’, South African Forestry Journal, 75, 9–17.
24.
NanniU.W. (1970b). ‘The Effect of Afforestation on Streamflow at Cathedral Peak, Report No. 1’, South African Forestry Journal, 74, 6–12.
25.
PitmanW.V. (1976). A Mathematical Model for Generating Daily River Flows for Meteorological Data in South Africa, Report 2/76, Hydrology Research Unit, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
26.
SchargetterH. (1987). ‘Timber Resources and Needs in Southern Africa’, South African Journal of Sciences, 8, 256–257.
27.
SchonauA.P.G.GreyD.C. (1987). ‘Site Requirements of Exotic Tree Species’, in GadowK.van der ZelD.W.Van LaarA.SchonauA.P.G.JassierH.W.WarkotschP.W.VermaasH.F.OwenD.W.JordanJ. V. (eds), Forestry Handbook, 82–94. Pretoria: Southern African Institute of Forestry.
28.
SchulzeR.E. (1995). Hydrology and Agrohydrology: A Text to Accompany the ACRU 3.00 Agrohydrological Modelling System. Pietermaritzburgh: Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Natal.
29.
ScottD.F.SmithR.E. (1997). ‘Preliminary Empirical Models to Predict Reductions in Total and Low flows Resulting from Afforestations’, Water SA, 23, 135–40.
30.
ScottD.F.Le MaitreD. C.FairbanksD.H.K. (1998). ‘Forestry and Stream Flow Reductions in South Africa: A Reference System for Assessing Extent and Distribution’, Water SA, 24,187–199.
31.
SecklerD.AmarasugheU.MoldeD.De SilvaR.BarkerR. (1998). World Water Demand and Supply, 1990 to 2025: Scenarios and Issues, International Water Management Institute, Research Report 19.
32.
SopperW.E.LullH.W. (eds) (1967). Forest Hydrology: Proceedings of an International Symposium at Pennsylvania State University, New York: Pergamon Press.
33.
TewariD.D. (2001). ‘Is Commercial Forestry Sustainable in South Africa?: The Changing Institutional and Policy Needs’, Forest Policy and Economics, 2, 333–353.
34.
TewariD.D. (2003). An Estimation of the Value of Water in the Commercial Forestry Sector in Selected Areas in South Africa: A Case Study of KwaZulu-Natal, Water Research Commission, WRC Report No. 1133/1/03.
35.
UysM. (1996). A Structural Analysis of the Water Allocation Mechanism of the Water Act 54 of 1956 in the Light of the Requirements of Competing Water User Sectors, Report to the Water Research Commission, WRC Report No. 406/1/96, 463.
36.
Van der ZelD.W. (1985). A Decision Making Modeling Approach to Mountain Catchments Management in Southern Africa. Pretoria: Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pretoria.
37.
Van der ZelD.W. (1989). Strategic Forestry Development Plan for South Africa. Pretoria: Directorate of National Forestry Planning, Department of Environmental Affairs.
38.
Van der ZelD.W. (1995). ‘Accomplishments and Dynamics of the South African Afforestation Permit System’, South African Forestry Journal, 172, 49–58.
39.
WarrenM. (1999). Water Use Licensing: The Policy and Procedure for Licensing Streamflow Reduction Activities, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry [A Draft Paper] November.
40.
WarrenM. (2000). Streamflow Reduction Activities: Water Use Licensing, Course on Grand Water and the National Water Services Acts, University of Pretoria, 8–9June.
41.
Water Matters Committee (1970). Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Water Matters, Report No. 34/1970. Pretoria: Government Printer.
42.
WichtC.L. (1949). Forestry and Water Supplies in South Africa, Bulletin 33. Pretoria: Department of Forestry, Government Printers.
