SA at risk of becoming a desert

South Africa is at risk of becoming a desert 30 years from now unless people started conserving water, Buyelwa Sonjica, the minister of water affairs and forestry, said today. "We have been rated among 30 countries in the world who are running the risk of becoming a desert 30 years from now," Sonjica said, ahead of National Water Week which starts on Monday.

"The current rainfalls in parts of the country should not delude us into thinking that we have water in abundance." The department's awareness campaign, based on the theme "water for growth and development", would be aimed mainly at school-going children, the water affairs and forestry department said in a statement.

In July 2002 the government began allocating 6 000 litres of free clean water to each family per month. This met South Africa's minimum requirements for water consumption. - Sapa