How well has biophysical research served the needs of water resource management? Lessons from the Sabie-Sand catchment

Abstract

Since the era of great water engineering works in South Africa, there has been a major shift in the thinking and approach to water resources management. Previous focus on water supply has been replaced by demand management initiatives and the recognition that aquatic ecosystems require protection in order to provide goods and services to people. These paradigm shifts are now reflected in the legislation that governs the management and protection of natural resources, as well as in the management frameworks proposed for integrated water resource management. The fundamental changes in the approach to water resource management warrant a critical evaluation of the information generated by past research and of the relevance of this activity and associated knowledge generation, given the new management needs. This paper reviews historical research initiatives in the Sabie-Sand catchment and investigates the extent to which they have generated the kind of information that is required by current management approaches. We show that all of the research initiatives provide useful information at different temporal and spatial scales, but that there are conspicuous gaps in the research framework. Management in the Sabie-Sand catchment will benefit from greater focus on integrative, interdisciplinary research and on the ecology of restoring degraded land and water resources. Research initiatives need to make better use of opportunities for capacity building and to advance understanding of the interface between biophysical and social research, given the requirement for research to be part of the country's social transformation processes. It is hoped that the kind of evaluation provided by this paper will be used elsewhere to identify knowledge gaps in the framework for water resource research and, in doing so, enable decision-makers to direct future research investment more effectively.