Developing community supply groundwater protection guidelines SA

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) of South Africa has initiated a NORAD funded project entitled ‘Sustainable development of groundwater sources under the community water and sanitation programme’. This programme is being implemented through seven projects, one of which relates to groundwater protection. The main aim of the groundwater protection project is to develop and implement a uniform approach to groundwater protection in the rural sector. In order to achieve this, the following objectives have been set: • to assess the major human impacts threatening groundwater resource sustainability in the community water supply environment. • to develop best practice guidelines for groundwater protection in the rural sector. • to test the guidelines in selected pilot areas • to integrate the guidelines into policy documents In developing the guidelines, the following are being taken into consideration: • The guidelines must be based on sound science • The guidelines should take social factors, including customs into consideration • The guidelines must be easy to implement