Nedbank committed to public private-partnerships for sustainable economic growth
Published - 16 May 2019
'The agrisector has no choice but to prepare for farming under much drier conditions', says Cobus de Bruyn, Nedbank Agriculture Divisional Head in Mpumalanga.
‘Since the country’s worst drought in decades in 2015, water stress has become the new normal for farmers, who also have to adjust to new challenges that become more and more difficult to navigate,’ says De Bruyn.
Water, described as a critical economic enabler that is in crisis in South Africa for a multitude of reasons, is therefore also on the agenda at the Nation in Conversation dialogue at Nampo.
De Bruyn says, according to WWF-SA, less rain not only has an impact on dams and surface water, but also affects the extent to which groundwater is recharged. Along with rising temperatures and increasing evaporation, the implications of drought and climate change for long-term water security are also serious from a food security perspective.
- Highlighting the seriousness of a future water crisis, statistics from the United Nations reveal the following:
- Over two billion people live in countries with high water stress. (UN, 2018)
- By 2030, 700 million people worldwide could be displaced due to intense water scarcity. (Global Water Institute, 2013)
- About four billion people, representing nearly two-thirds of the world population, experience severe water scarcity during at least one month a year. (Mekonnen and Hoekstra, 2016)
- With the existing climate change scenario, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24 million and 700 million people by 2030. (UNCCD)
- A third of the world’s biggest groundwater systems is already in distress. (Richey et al, 2015)
- Nearly half of the global population is already living in potential water scarce areas for at least one month a year, and this could increase up to 5,7 billion in 2050. About 73% of affected people live in Asia by 2050). (Burek et al, 2016)
'Water conservation is therefore crucial for the future wellbeing of the agrisector', says De Bruyn.
As the largest agricultural exhibition in Africa, Nampo attracts more than 70 000 visitors every year, with almost 800 exhibitors displaying the latest in agriculture solutions and technology.
For more information on Nation inConversation visit www.nasieingesprek.co.za.
