Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, has reiterated the need to get to grips with what climate change means for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality (NMBMM), and the need to be sensitive towards its impacts.
“The public needs to be educated and empowered about climate change, otherwise the war against drought will not be won,” Mchunu said.
Mchunu made the remarks during a workshop aimed at finding practical and sustainable solutions to water challenges in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
In a bid to create water resilience in Nelson Mandela Bay, the Department of Water and Sanitation, in conjunction with NMBMM, hosted a workshop at Coega Vulindlela Conference Centre in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, on Tuesday.
The workshop was attended by approximately 200 delegates from the Water Research Institute (WRI), World Bank, Cities Support Programme (CSP), South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU), Amatola Water and government departments, amongst others.
Addressing the delegates, Mchunu emphasised that the workshop was meant to ensure that the people of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro have access to clean water, “regardless of whether the current drought persists or not”.
Mchunu also emphasised the importance of public mass participation through rigorous awareness campaigns.
“Let us make the public aware of what we are faced with. We cannot be water resilient if people are not aware of the severity of the challenges. Innovation is the name of the game. We have representatives from World Bank here and we need all the scientists to ensure water security,” Mchunu said.
Eugene Johnson, the Executive Mayor of NMBMM, said climate change is a stark reality, and building water resilience is paramount. She further stressed the need to come up with the most viable approach to resolve water challenges in the area.
According to the Minister, the Nooitgedacht Water Scheme Phase 3 which is supplying on average approximately 190 mega litres of water from Gariep Dam to Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and surroundings, has come in very handy.
Mchunu highlighted the significance of public–private partnerships, which help to ensure adequate water supply to residents of the Bay.
“We are looking at the process of desalination of sea water. This is a very expensive exercise, hence we require all the support we can get,” Mchunu said.
The Minister further expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards non-governmental organisations and private companies for their commendable work of drilling boreholes in the area recently.
He said the exercise has assisted a great deal in augmenting water supply in the area. The Minister also announced that the leaks fixing blitz initiative by NMBMM is bearing fruit. – SAnews.gov.za
