The launch of the mine water atlas took place in Durban as part of World Water Day and coincided with the launch of the United Nations World Water Development report
The South African Department of Water and Sanitation Minister, Nomvula Mokonyane, and the Water Research Commission launched the mine water atlas on 22 March. This coincided with the United Nation and World Health Organisation's World Water Day 2017 initiative and the United Nation's World Water Development report, which took place in Durban as well.
According to SABC, Minister Mokonyane addressed how South African mines had been exploited and how the government is now trying to turn the waste material left into useful resources that can benefit the country.
“It is our privilege and honour as a country to have been afforded the opportunity by the UN and to have been the first African state to host World Water Day, the Summit and the Expo,” said Mokonyane.
The Atlas gives a detailed description of mining and water resources, a ground water vulnerability model, surface water threat model and a geo-environmental risk model. It uses various measures to illustrate South Africa’s hydrological characteristics by charting and mapping water resources on a provincial scale. Furthermore, each mining-affected province and the challenges and opportunities it faces are said to be addressed in the atlas.
