Applying a spatially explicit model for assessing sediment retention and water supply and linking them to human well-being in monsterlus, Elias Motsoaledi municipality – an interdisciplinary study

Nomfundo  Morutse

Water insecurity is a problem in a lot of nations around the globe, and it has had a substantial bad influence on the economic state of the country. As stated in Sustainable Development Goal No. 6, safeguarding water security for human survival and all activity, is a necessity. Large-scale infrastructure efforts to secure water may not always result in better water experiences for people, particularly vulnerable populations such as the ones from the study areas. The task for policymaking and policy design is to increase human well-being while guaranteeing ecological usage of natural amenities, but that must begin with recognizing the effects and causes of sediment retention and the domino effect they have on water supply and the quality of livelihoods. This study examines the challenges faced by rural communities regarding water supply and water quality, testing for sediment retention in watersheds and the water supplied to different areas in Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality. It also attempts to comprehend the connection between water quality as an ecosystem service and human well-being. This study’s objectives are to determine the amount of sediment retained in the catchment using InVEST. It will identify and explain the link between water supply and human well-being, to estimate water yield using InVEST and its impact on human well-being, and to identify the actors affecting sediment retention and water supply. An exploratory design is employed for this study. This combines InVEST to model the ecosystem services and an exploratory design as it has been discovered that there are not many studies done on linking ecosystem services in terms of sediment retention and human well-being in South Africa. The study explores the link between sediment retention, water supply and human well-being using data from Landsat satellite images and rainfall data collected by the South African Weather Services, the Land Use Cover Map, the Rainfall and Soil map. This assisted the study in analysing the soil types and rainfall frequency in the study area. The Sediment Delivery Ratio Model found in the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs Model calculates the sediment delivered from the watersheds for various reasons into distribution sources or infrastructure in the study area. The findings reveal a relationship between water, human activity and human well-being. The InVEST SDR model highlights the study areas that are more susceptible to soil erosion, which leads to sediment retention in the long run. The recommendations provide initiatives by which this can be mitigated.

Applying a spatially explicit model for assessing sediment retention and water supply and linking them to human well-being in monsterlus, Elias Motsoaledi municipality – an interdisciplinary study

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