Water security in Southern Africa: Discourses securitising water and the implications for water governance and politics

Abstract

In the South African water discourse, the water security concept is a complex notion that not only covers the quantitative aspects of water demand and supply but is also linked to national security and political stability, as well as human well-being and ecosystem security. This chapter highlights how various stakeholders have used the concept and linked it to other issues over the past decade and more. The chapter shows how different interest groups have played a significant role in the water governance of Southern Africa at different levels. Depending on the type and objective of such interest groups, the water security concept has been either linked to human well-being or to policies and practices that could have an impact on aquatic ecosystems; and thus it has influenced the discourse and conceptualisation of water security in a varied way in the same region.