Infrastructure performance and irrigation water governance in Genadendal, Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Genadendal is a small historic town situated in the Theewaterskloof Municipality within the Overberg District of the Western Cape, South Africa. Water resources in and around the town were identified as a critical concern requiring urgent attention as a result of the recent 2015-2018 drought that occurred in the Western Cape Province. The town is a product of historic imbalances in terms of access to resources, including water for agriculture. This study assessed the performance of water infrastructure and water governance systems as well as the availability of water from the current water sources. Performance of the infrastructure and water governance were both assessed based on the perceptions of smallholder farmers and key informants. A focus group discussion was conducted with 15 smallholder farmers and key informant interviews were conducted with eight officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency. A questionnaire was also administered to eight smallholder farmers. Hydrologic data were acquired from the Agricultural Research Council and the Department of Water and Sanitation and graphical analysis was used to analyse the data. Qualitative data from farmers and key informants were analysed using thematic content analysis. The study found that there were adequate water resources for most of the smallholder farmers, especially the ones who relied on water extracted from the mountain streams. Their sources held sufficient water even during the 2015–2018 drought period that occurred in the Western Cape Province. On the other hand, the study revealed that the water resources for smallholder farmers who depended on the Riviersonderend river were severely affected during the 2015–2018 drought period. Both livestock and crop production of these farmers were affected by water shortages. The study concludes that poor water governance systems are the main factor contributing to water insecurity challenges for most smallholder farmers. The lack of funding and accountability of responsible institutions has led to the dysfunctionality of irrigation water infrastructure. This was compounded by the lack of participation of farmers in the maintenance activities of irrigation water infrastructure. The study recommends funding for the operation and maintenance of infrastructure to be made available within the institutions that are responsible for the governance of water resources for smallholder farmers. Instead of being fully dependent on government institutions for infrastructure maintenance, smallholder farmers should be supported with training skills. Further studies are recommended to quantify the amount of water that is being lost as a result of the poor performance of water infrastructure.