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Water supply and sanitation in South Africa is characterised by both achievements and challenges. After the end of Apartheid South Africa's newly elected government struggled with the then growing service and backlogs with respect to access to water supply and sanitation developed. The government thus made a strong commitment to high service standards and to high levels of investment subsidies to achieve those standards. Since then, the country has made some progress with regard to improving access to water supply: It reached universal access to an improved water source in urban areas, and in rural areas the share of those with access increased from 66% to 79% from 1990 to 2010.〔WHO/UNICEF:Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation:(Data table South Africa ), 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2012〕 South Africa also has a strong water industry with a track record in innovation. However, much less progress has been achieved on sanitation: Access increased only from 71% to 79% during the same period.〔 Significant problems remain concerning the financial sustainability of service providers, leading to a lack of attention to maintenance. The uncertainty about the government's ability to sustain funding levels in the sector is also a concern. Two distinctive features of the South African water sector are the policy of free basic water and the existence of water boards, which are bulk water supply agencies that operate pipelines and sell water from reservoirs to municipalities. In May 2014 it was announced that Durban's Water and Sanitation Department won the Stockholm Industry Water Award "for its transformative and inclusive approach", calling it "one of the most progressive utilities in the world". The city has connected 1.3 million additional people to piped water and provided 700,000 with access to toilets in 14 years. It also was South Africa's first municipality to put free basic water for the poor into practice. Furthermore, it has promoted rainwater harvesting and mini hydropower.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.siwi.org/prizes/stockholmindustrywateraward/winners/2014-2/ )〕 == Water resources and water use == Water availability in South Africa varies greatly in space and time. While the West is dry with rainfall only during the summer and as low as 100mm, the East and Southeast receive rainfall throughout the year with an average of up to 1,000mm. Total annual surface runoff is estimated at 43 to 48 km3, depending on the source.〔FAO Auqastat: (South Africa 2005 ). Retrieved 24 October 2010〕〔World Resources Institute: (Water Resources and Freshwater Ecosystems - South Africa ). Retrieved 24 October 2010〕 Much of the runoff is lost through flood spillage, so that the available surface water resources are estimated at 14 km3/year only. Although groundwater is limited due to geologic conditions, it is extensively utilised in the rural and more arid areas. Available groundwater is estimated at 1 km3/year. The main rivers of South Africa are fairly small compared to the large rivers of the world: For example, the discharge of the Nile River alone is about six times higher than the available surface water resources from all South African rivers together.〔(Orange-Senqu River Commission ). Retrieved 18 June 2011〕〔(Limpopo Watercourse Commission ). Retrieved 18 June 2011〕 The main rivers are the Orange River draining to the Atlantic Ocean, the Limpopo River, the Incomati River, the Maputo River, the Tugela River, the Olifants River (Limpopo), and the Breede River. The Incomati, Maputo, Thukela and Limpopo all drain to the Indian Ocean. South Africa's most important rivers are transboundary: The Orange River is shared with Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho, the "water tower" of Southern Africa. The Limpopo-Olifants river basin is shared with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which lies the furthest downstream. International commissions of all riparian countries have been set up to manage these transboundary water resources.〔〔 Potential future water resources are seawater desalination or the transfer of water from the Zambezi River. Total annual water withdrawal was estimated at 12.5 km3 in 2000, of which about 17% was for municipal water use.〔〔 In the northern parts of the country, both surface water and groundwater resources are nearly fully developed and utilised. In the well-watered southeastern regions of the country significant undeveloped and little-used resources exist.〔 The Gauteng area around Johannesburg, which is very water scarce, receives water from various dams in the area such as the Vaal Dam and imports water from the Orange River system through the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, in particular from the Katse Dam.〔Rand Water:(Background ). Retrieved 24 October 2010〕 Cape Town receives its drinking water from an extensive system of rivers and dams, including the Berg River Dam. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Water supply and sanitation in South Africa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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