A Revised Adopt-a-River programme: Stakeholder input on the Institutional and financial frameworks with a focus on an Implementation strategy.

______________________________________________________________________________________ In 2006 the need to create awareness amongst all South Africans of our precious and scarce water resources was highlighted, along with suggestions to facilitate public participatory processes in their management (DWA, 2008). In response, some members of parliament volunteered to adopt a river and act as a patron for its management. These actions were taken to foster public participation and as a sign of commitment of government officials towards protecting and managing South African rivers (DWA, 2008). To formalise these actions, the minister requested that DWA develop and implement a suitable programme to house such a volunteer response to riverine management. This public and ministerial interest led to the initiation of the Adopt-a-River Programme (DWA, 2008). The AaR Programme was initiated in 2008, with a phased approach to implementation; as a volunteer programme targeting pensioners, school pupils, industries, catchment forums, water user associations, municipalities, communities, etc. The spin-offs being water saving, skills development for youth, empowerment of the general public on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), improvement of water quality and of the state of the rivers. The concept and thinking behind the project was sound and looked very promising. The document produced by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA, 2009) entitled “Adopt-a-River Programme Phase 2: Development of an Implementation Plan/ Institutional Aspects and Governance Structures” provides extensive background, context and rationale around the need for the AaR Programme. In 2010 the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs selected the AaR Programme as one of the Department’s flagship programmes for job creation. The target groups shifted to unemployed women, youth and people living with disabilities. Once this change was made, the programme moved from one driven by volunteerism towards one driven by monetary incentive. While the programme contribution on poverty relief was accepted, implementers across the country looked more at job creation than their contribution in water resource quality monitoring. Many of the objectives set out in Phase I and Phase II were achieved. However, there was a breakdown in the implementation phases of the programme. In 2014 DWS made the decision to review the Adopt-a-River programme through a project managed via WRC.