REHABILITATING WATER CATCHMENTS

Invasive alien plant species are not native to the ecosystems that they invade. They tend to spread at an alarming rate and take up all the resources – such as water – from endemic species. Their proliferation is also aided by the fact that they do not have any natural enemies in the areas which they invade, making them more competitive for resources. WWF-SA reports that one single large invasive alien plant can use up to 1 000 litres of water a day – more than is used by plants that occur naturally in the same environment. As part of our work to meet the CEO Water Mandate commitments, Woolworths has been working with the WWF-SA Water Balance Programme to aid the restoration and protection of South Africa’s water resources. The Water Balance Programme is an initiative that allows private companies to offset their operational water use by investing in the clearing of invasive alien plants. The sustainability of South Africa’s water catchment areas has been threatened by droughts and other water-related risks in recent years and allowing invasive alien plants to flourish only exacerbates the problem. The rehabilitation of these catchments is an important initiative to ensure that they thrive once again, and that they can sustain the ecosystem services they provide. Through its partnership with WWF-SA, Woolworths has made an annual investment in this programme. Rehabilitating water catchments involves clearing of alien vegetation to restore the pristine nature of each catchment. The indirect benefit of clearing alien vegetation is the positive effect it’s had on the fight against runaway veld fires and the availability of water in the Upper Breede River Catchment in the last year. Over the years, the Upper Breede-Gouritz catchment area in the Western Cape has been a major focus. A local co-ordinator, working with a team of 150 people, was employed to manage the rehabilitation of this area.