Working for Water | Western Cape Government

Working for Water

The Working for Water project is on a mission to save precious water resources by eradicating invasive alien plants. Find out more below.

dried river

 

What is Our Water Situation?
Our water resources and reserves are running out fast. With an ever-increasing demand on supply by growing populations and industry, as well as the adverse effects of climate change, we can't afford to waste a single drop. Invasive alien plants add further pressure on our water reserves as they use much more water than our native plants.

What is Working for Water?
In 1995, the government started the Working for Water (WfW) programme. The programme is aimed at removing intrusive alien plants which use much more water than our indigenous vegetation. In extreme cases, these alien plants outgrow our indigenous plants to the point of wiping them out.

The programme operates in all nine provinces and is run by the Department of Environmental Affairs, which partners with other departments and private companies. The programme also contributes to job creation for local communities, which includes processing the plant material which has been harvested.

How Can You Get Involved?
Find out how you can help in the fight against invasive alien plants, by viewing the get involved page of the WfW website.

Are you doing everything you can to save as much water as you can? Here are some helpful tips on how to save water.

For more information about the WfW programme, including the methods which are used to remove invasive alien plants, visit the WfW website.

The content on this page was last updated on 8 July 2022