Focus on CSIR research in pollution waste: The South African river health programme

Abstract

In South Africa water is a scarce and precious commodity and efficient management of our water resources has a direct bearing on our standard of living and economic benefit. In the early 90s the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry initiated the design of the River Health Programme (RHP) to monitor the health of rivers in South Africa. The RHP forms part of a bigger initiative, the National Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring Programme which will eventually cover all surface water resources, including wetlands and estuaries. The information provided by the RHP helps water resource managers to understand how these aquatic ecosystems function and respond to multiple stressors and to subsequently make informed decisions that would ensure sustainable use of these resources.