Some implications of inter-basin water transfers for river ecosystem functioning and water resources management in southern Africa

Abstract Inter-basin water transfers (IBTs) are a major form of river basin manipulation. In southern Africa they are increasingly being used to reconcile the problems of water distribution within the region. Despite their high cost and ‘high profile’ in terms of the complex engineering and technical inputs that they require, the ecological and social implications of such schemes have been, and continue to be, inadequately addressed. Many rivers in southern Africa are shared resources, flowing through or between more than one province or country. The combined effect of climatic stochasticity, rapid population growth and inefficient water infrastructure is increasing the pressure on the river ecosystems of the region. As stresses on rivers continue to increase, re-distribution networks are rapidly assuming the status of a ‘growth industry’, but they have a disturbing and unaddressed potential for intra- and international conflict and for severe ecosystem perturbation. This paper examines inter-basin water ...

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