Necessity of making water smart for proactive informed decisive actions: A case study of the upper vaal catchment, South Africa

The need for informed management of water resources has been continuously highlighted worldwide. Societies are increasingly faced with water quality challenges globally which directly translate into multifaceted challenges. South Africa has acknowledged that water is not receiving the attention and status it deserves. Wastage is rife and degradation widespread. The sustainability of South Africa's freshwater resources has reached a critical point and requires decisive action. Vast amounts of water quality data, varying in quality, is available however the seemingly lack of integrative data management has led to reactive planning and questionable decisions. The paper highlights the necessity for making water smart through a case study of the Upper Vaal catchment. The quality of available government data is mostly of an acceptable standard according to the evaluated data dimensions and elements. The practical application of determining hydrological responses to predict possible water quality changes towards land cover change in the Vaal river catchment emphasises that there is suitable data available and highlights the value of Smart Water Management (SWM). SWM can enable improved integrated water resource management by increasing sharing and effective use of real-time data of acceptable quality to promote proactive unambiguous strategies and decisions focused on overall improved water management and the evasion of a future water predicament.