Following minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s launch of the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan (NW&SMP) in Pretoria this week, Agri SA has said that it is ready to engage on the plan. The NW&SMP outlines the short, medium, and long-term strategy to safeguard water security for all South Africans.
“Agriculture as a sector is the largest user of raw water, and production is greatly dependent on the availability and quality of water resources,” says Janse Rabie, Agri SA head of the Centre of Excellence: Natural Resources. “The launch of the master plan provides a framework from which the future of the country’s water and food security can be delivered and serves as a point of departure for engagement with government going forward.”
Agri SA is specifically encouraged by renewed efforts made by the Department of Water and Sanitation to work with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and planned engagements with the South African Local Government Association in addressing issues pertaining to the degradation of infrastructure and water quality.
