Monitoring Surface Water Quality in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site using Remote Sensing Technologyc

This is the Final Report for the project Monitoring Surface Water Quality in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site using Remote Sensing Technology , Project No: C2023/2024-01241. The report details all work done for the project. BACKGROUND South Africa faces significant challenges regarding its surface water resources in terms of quantity and quality. Water quality in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COHWHS) is severely compromised by factors including acid mine drainage (AMD) emanating from the Western Basin gold mining, as well as bacterial contamination and elevated nutrient levels originating from municipal sewage effluent and agricultural runoff. These pressures raise concerns for stakeholders in the area and pose severe risks to downstream water users, including the Hartbeespoort Dam, which battles water hyacinth infestation. Traditional water quality monitoring methods, relying on laboratory and in situ testing, are spatially and temporally limited, making them inadequate for comprehensive and regular monitoring.