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Scope
Research undertaken within this KSA addresses the conservation
of aquatic ecosystems in order to provide the knowledge
for their sustainable functioning in terms of the national
commitment to international conventions and the ongoing
provision of goods and services which ecosystems deliver.
In addition, the National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS)
focuses on resource protection as one of its components.
The research undertaken in this KSA provides knowledge
for protection of the resource, and is therefore central
to this aspect of the NWRS.
Water-linked ecosystems are defined as in-stream (fully
aquatic), riparian (dependent on water stored in the
river banks and linked to the river) and water table-dependent
(dependent on a water table, but not on surface water).
This KSA focuses on the protection and sustainable utilisation
of the aquatic environment and biota (in-stream, riparian
and groundwater). This includes the research needs around
the international conventions on environmental management
(e.g. biodiversity) as well as human needs from the
aquatic environment (e.g. sustainable management for
equitable ecosystem resource utilisation, recreation
and ecotourism).
The above will be achieved by developing technologies
and methodologies, adaptive management processes and
capacity to protect the resource and to sustain the
flow of goods and services in a time of both demographic
and climatic change in the Southern African context.
Technologies and methodologies will be developed within
the KSA to support the implementation of the national
water policy to ensure sustainable resource use.
Objectives
The primary objective is the provision of knowledge
to enable good environmental governance so as to ensure
the utilisation and sustainable management of water-linked
ecosystems in a water-scarce country during a time of
demographic and climate change.
This will be achieved through the following:
- Develop an understanding of the ecological
processes underlying the delivery of goods and services.
- Develop the knowledge to sustainably manage,
protect, utilise and rehabilitate the aquatic ecosystem.
- Transfer the knowledge to appropriate end-users.
- Build capacity in both research and management
to sustainably manage aquatic ecosystems.
Budget Allocation
The consolidated budgets
(subject to revised budget approval) for the 2008/2009 and
2009/2010 research portfolios are presented below:
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Research Portfolio |
2008/2009 (R) |
2009/2010 (R) |
| Current projects |
9 761 316 |
7 268 211 |
| New projects |
1 937 531 |
7 898 514 |
| Total |
11 698 847 |
15 166 725 |
Project Portfolio for 2008/2009
The projects contributing to each strategic thrust are
grouped according to specific programmes:
Thrust 2: Ecosystem Management and
Utilisation
Thrust 3: Ecosystem
Rehabilitation
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KSA 2: Water-Linked Ecosystems