In a bid to avert a water crisis in Gauteng, the province’s Premier, David Makhura says provincial government will set up a water war room.

According to Makhura the decision stems from issues of water security raised at the Premier’s Coordinating Forum (PCF).

Experts call for investments in infrastructure

Water experts from different institutions, who attended the meeting, noted that Gauteng uses 11% of the country’s water, whilst contributing 38% to the national economy.

The experts said it was clear that the volume of water required by 2025 would not be met, if additional storage infrastructure was not built and investment into the additional dams was not given the priority it deserved.

The panel of experts noted that infrastructure is insurance against uncertainty and therefore, Gauteng had to invest in adequate water infrastructure.

War summit

Premier Makhura, who convened the forum, said the Gauteng City Region (GCR) was vulnerable to a water crisis due to its location, the type of economy run, and the number of people the province attracts.

“We need to agree on setting up a water war room that will be made up of representatives from the provincial government and local government. This war room will have both a political and technical component which will be used to identify trends and respond to those,” Makhura explained.

The Premier announced that a war summit will be convened in June, where a plan to deal with water security and sustainability will be adopted.