... members of the portfolio committee, it is always good to see our previous chairperson. It shows that her heart is still with us. Thank you for being here. I know that you are very close to this committee.
Having said that, the United Nations report on water suggests that every person needs 20 to 50 litres of safe freshwater a day to ensure that their basic need for drinking, cooking and cleaning are met. Water concerns and the effective management of water resources are currently some of the major issues threatening our livelihood as South Africans today. Research has shown that, at our current rate, we will run out of freshwater in 15 years. Our freshwater resources are in a critical state and need some immediate attention.
Access to clean water is a basic human right. It is, therefore, the government's mandate to make sure that we always have that right, and people who do not have it, get it. With the allocated budget of R9,9 billion, jobs must be created, service delivery must improve, and infrastructure must be sustained and developed.
The department was in a state of disarray at the end of last year. It has received qualified audit reports for years in succession, and we hope that there will be progress from now onwards - from 2011 to 2012.
With regard to the current situation, pollution, climate change and the lack of effective environmentally friendly water management are three of the biggest threats to our water resources. In addition, South Africa's limited water resources have been further impaired by mineralisation, eutrophication and acid mine drainage. Overall, our skills base has been degraded, especially with regard to water professionals and people with skills and expertise in this highly specialised field.
With regard to our policies and management of our water, we must think seriously of long-term solutions and ways in which the government can provide potable water, especially for our rural communities. Proper water management and treatment facilities will not only secure our water resources, but also provide us with food security and health.
A report discussed at the UN water conference in Cape Town has warned that South Africa is heading for disaster unless it tackles the problem of water pollution, including its failing sewerage treatment systems. The report found that the situation was so bad that it called for wastewater facilities that did not comply with their licences to be prosecuted. Water quality, the report stated, was excellent in metropolitan areas. But in many rural areas and towns the quality of drinking water and wastewater effluent were frequently below the standards. Cope wants to see all rural areas enjoy freshwater, good infrastructure and service delivery. Currently, this is not the case.
With regard to the 17th Conference of the Parties, COP 17, of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be hosted in Durban in December 2011, South Africa will have to play a leading role in shaping the water agenda on developing adaptation strategies on climate change under the banner of the United Nations. It is imperative that we, as the host nation, have a strategic plan in place to lead the plight of the developing nations with regard to water security. The European Union has stated that South Africa had neither the capacity nor the strategy to secure a deal on climate change as host of the conference. We need to prove them wrong here, Minister.
According to Prof Terence McCarthy, South Africa's water resources will be hard hit by climate change and the impact will be felt most in the rural areas, in which about 61% of the population live. In terms of the National Climate Change Response Strategy, the present population growth trends and water use behaviour indicate that South Africa will exceed the limits of its economically usable land-based water resources by 2015.
Prof Mark Swilling has also indicated that the world population would have grown by 30 billion by 2050. Water is the primary medium through which the impact of climate change will be felt by people, ecosystems and economies, after which comes food security. The White Paper points out that if the COP 17 negotiations do not succeed in decreasing the earth's temperature by two degrees, the potential impact on South Africa in the medium to long term is potentially catastrophic.
There is a need to encourage the development of water-sensitive urban design that minimises pollution and erosion. Good water management systems and institutions need to be developed and maintained, from villages through to the national level, to ensure sustainable and affordable water provision for all.
With regard to sustainable development, South Africa contains about 500 government-built dams. This means that our ecosystems, communities, health and natural environment are in danger. Already, we have lost 50% of our wetlands owing to the building of dams. Despite this extensive degradation of our freshwater resources, an estimated overall increase in demand of some 52% over the next 30 years is predicted.
In conclusion, the water crisis is not only the responsibility and duty of the Departments of Water and of Environmental Affairs, but also of other overlapping departments such as Mineral Resources; Health; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and other departments. As South Africans, we may not be able to control the climate, but we can contribute positively to policy and to our immediate environment and through activism by focusing our efforts on water conservation and land-use practices. The time for change is now. Thank you. [Applause.]