Investing in ecological infrastructure in South Africa's significant catchments

Abstract

South Africa’s Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) are significant at a national level as these provide a disproportionately large amount of runoff, have high levels of groundwater recharge, or both. As such, it is critical for sustainable development and socio-economic well-being that these are protected, including the ecosystems and ecosystem features that keep them functioning optimally. Ecological infrastructure (EI) provides valuable ecosystem services such as water storage and filtration, and flood protection. Where EI is degraded, it can exacerbate the impacts of climatic events and greatly reduce climate resilience in such landscapes.

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