National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998)Chapter 2 : Water Management StrategiesPart 1 : National water resource strategy6. Contents of national water resource strategy |
| (1) | The national water resource strategy must, subject to section 5(4)(a)— |
| (a) | set out the strategies, objectives, plans, guidelines and procedures of the Minister and institutional arrangements relating to the protection, use, development, conservation, management and control of water resources within the framework of existing relevant government policy in order to achieve— |
| (i) | the purpose of this Act; and |
| (ii) | any compulsory national standards prescribed under section 9(1) of the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No. 108 of 1997); |
| (b) | provide for at least— |
| (i) | the requirements of the Reserve and identify, where appropriate, water resources from which particular requirements must be met; |
| (ii) | international rights and obligations; |
| (iii) | actions to be taken to meet projected future water needs; and |
| (iv) | water use of strategic importance; |
| (c) | establish water management areas and determine their boundaries; |
| (d) | contain estimates of present and future water requirements; |
| (e) | state the total quantity of water available within each water management area; |
| (f) | state water management area surpluses or deficits; |
| (g) | provide for inter-catchment water transfers between surplus water management areas and deficit water management areas; |
| (h) | set out principles relating to water conservation and water demand management; |
| (i) | state the objectives in respect of water quality to be achieved through the classification system for water resources provided for in this Act; |
| (j) | contain objectives for the establishment of institutions to undertake water resource management; |
| (k) | determine the inter-relationship between institutions involved in water resource management; and |
| (l) | promote the management of catchments within a water management area in a holistic and integrated manner. |
| (2) | In determining a water management area in terms of subsection (1)(c), the Minister must take into account— |
| (a) | watercourse catchment boundaries; |
| (b) | social and economic development patterns; |
| (c) | efiticiency considerations; and |
| (d) | communal interests within the area in question. |