KSA 30: Water Resources and Ecosystems
Thrust : Governance and Institutional Arrangements
Programme : Cooperative governance for water resource management
Title : Participatory course to activate water pricing learning networks
ToR ID :1009836
Contact Person: Michelle Hiestermann michelleh@wrc.org.za
Closing Date: 17 May 2021
Brief description of ToR
The Ecological Infrastructure for Water Security Project (EI4WS) is executed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), in partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This five-year project, focuses on improving water security by integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into planning, finance and development in the water sector.
The Water Research Commission (WRC) is responsible for implementation of a component of EI4WS of social learning, credible evidence and knowledge management. It has been determined in South Africa, as in most countries, that water pricing is complex – with multiple tiers of pricing, multiple tariffs within each tier and numerous institutions playing a role. There is a need within many of these institutions, especially decision makers and EI4WS project partners to strengthen understanding of the governance arrangements, processes and theory underlying water pricing and economic regulation in order to be able to engage effectively with the concepts and language used in pricing strategies, research reports, and policy-making and tariff-setting processes. Experience through the EI4WS and other projects has shown that many of the actors who engage with different water pricing processes have an incomplete understanding of the theory and practice.
A strengthened network of water pricing learning would enable participants to collectively develop understanding of the theory underpinning water pricing and its expression within the particular context of South African policy and law. Using their understanding of the current water pricing regime, including its strengths and weaknesses, participants will be empowered to re-imagine future possibilities. This in turn will enable participants to engage capably with both the further development of policy and strategy relevant to water pricing in South Africa (e.g. the pricing strategy for raw water use charges), and consultation processes undertaken by various authorities to revise water tariffs.
