Tag Archives: Knysna drought

The Scramble for Water in Eden & the Central Karoo (Part 1)

Knysna Keep Posted on by

INTRODUCTION None of us can forget the drought or the consequent water restrictions imposed on us in the latter half of this decade. George had identified the need for augmented water supplies as early as 2005/2006. In 2007, a report had warned of water shortage risk along the Garden Route as a result of increased water usage by golf courses and holiday estates – this was ignored. There was no defined beginning to the drought but between 2009 and 2011 the Eden & Central Karoo municipal areas were experiencing a disaster. Water is life so understanding what happened is essential … ‘Click here to read full article…’

The Scramble for Water in Eden & the Central Karoo (Part 2)

Knysna Keep Posted on by

If you missed Part 1, find it here. HOW IT HAPPENED The profile of the drought-affected area was in alignment with the Gouritz Water Management Area (WMA). This constitutes the largest WMA in the Western Cape Province, with a total surface area of 53,1392 km (RHP, 2007(ii)). It is also characterised by two main climatic regions – an arid Karoo zone drained by the Gouritz River, as well as a narrower coastal belt south of the Outeniqua Mountains, with annual rainfall ranging from below 200mm to more than 1,000mm. A detailed study of the Gouritz WMA’s southern coastal belt extending … ‘Click here to read full article…’