Fenji Materechera

Towards Integrated Catchment Management: Challenges Surrounding Implementation in the Gamtoos River Catchment Fenji Materechera

Water resource management has become a pertinent issue of global environmental concern in response to the conditions of a growing population, increasing development and a limited freshwater supply. The department of water affairs (DWA) in South Africa highlights the importance of approaching management of water resources from a catchment perspective which forms the basis for a particular integrated approach to management called integrated catchment management (ICM). Researchers have described the implementation of ICM as being complicated and difficult. This is no exception to South Africa. principles of ICM have recieved widespread prominence in south africa as they have been incorperated into national water policy. Actual implemenation however is still in its infancy. Towards Integrated Catcheent Management explores a case study of ICM with respect to factors influencing implementation amongst different stakeholders in a South African context. The study aims to explore the theme of implementation of ICM within the context of the Gamtoos River Catchment (South Africa) with a view toward identifying and addressing challenges that may be more broadly applicable.