Schreiner, GOVan Ballegooyen, RCOsman, W2016-10-032016-10-032014-04Schreiner, G.O., Van Ballegooyen, R.C. and Osman, W. 2014. Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making. Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination, 4(4), pp 287-2932220-1319http://jwrd.iwaponline.com/content/4/4/287http://hdl.handle.net/10204/8773Copyright: IWA Publishing. Due to copyright restrictions, the attached PDF file only contains the abstract of the full text item. For access to the full text item, please consult the publisher's website. The definitive version of the work is published in Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination, 4(4), pp 287-293In the last decade, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) has come to be seen by policy-makers as a novel technology that will significantly advance water security in South African coastal regions. Water purveyors, from the private sector, local/district municipalities and provincial authorities, are undertaking studies to explore the feasibility of SWRO to meet growing demand and relieve mounting pressure on current bulk water supply infrastructure. With this in mind, it is suggested that national strategic planning should be introduced to present the opportunities and constraints of the desalination option within the national water and energy policy. In absence of this, piece-meal decisions will be made at local authority levels and the construction of SWRO plants will be determined by regional circumstances (e.g. drought) as opposed to national water policy agenda. This paper explores the value of such a strategy by considering the drivers of SWRO in South Africa, the risk of unplanned large-scale SWRO implementation (with a focus on environmental impacts) and the initial steps that could be taken toward a Strategic Environmental Assessment for SWRO in South Africa.enWater reuseWater technologiesSeawater desalinationSouth African water scarcityEnvironmental impactsInformed decision-makingNational water policySeawater reverse osmosisStrategic environmental assessmentArticleSchreiner, G., Van Ballegooyen, R., & Osman, W. (2014). Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/8773Schreiner, GO, RC Van Ballegooyen, and W Osman "Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making." (2014) http://hdl.handle.net/10204/8773Schreiner G, Van Ballegooyen R, Osman W. Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making. 2014; http://hdl.handle.net/10204/8773.TY - Article AU - Schreiner, GO AU - Van Ballegooyen, RC AU - Osman, W AB - In the last decade, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) has come to be seen by policy-makers as a novel technology that will significantly advance water security in South African coastal regions. Water purveyors, from the private sector, local/district municipalities and provincial authorities, are undertaking studies to explore the feasibility of SWRO to meet growing demand and relieve mounting pressure on current bulk water supply infrastructure. With this in mind, it is suggested that national strategic planning should be introduced to present the opportunities and constraints of the desalination option within the national water and energy policy. In absence of this, piece-meal decisions will be made at local authority levels and the construction of SWRO plants will be determined by regional circumstances (e.g. drought) as opposed to national water policy agenda. This paper explores the value of such a strategy by considering the drivers of SWRO in South Africa, the risk of unplanned large-scale SWRO implementation (with a focus on environmental impacts) and the initial steps that could be taken toward a Strategic Environmental Assessment for SWRO in South Africa. DA - 2014-04 DB - ResearchSpace DP - CSIR KW - Water reuse KW - Water technologies KW - Seawater desalination KW - South African water scarcity KW - Environmental impacts KW - Informed decision-making KW - National water policy KW - Seawater reverse osmosis KW - Strategic environmental assessment LK - https://researchspace.csir.co.za PY - 2014 SM - 2220-1319 T1 - Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making TI - Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10204/8773 ER -