Sixty-five per cent of South Africa receives less than 500 mm average annual rainfall,  meaning that drought is an ever-present risk. Future projections indicate that by 2025 the  country’s water requirements will outstrip supply unless urgent steps are taken to manage  the resource more sustainably. There are already major problems of supply and quality,  with an estimated 8 million South Africans currently having no access to potable water. It  is against this background that the South African government, working in partnership with  WWF and others, has initiated catchment management programs. This includes the  control of water-thirsty alien plant infestations and wetland restoration, across the country,  under the banners ‘Working for Water’ and ‘Working for Wetlands’. 
‘Working for Water’, initiated in 1996 and led by the Department of Water Affairs, aims at  boosting water supply by clearing river basins of exotic tree species (mainly originating  from Australia and South America), many of which consume water at a much higher rate  than native vegetation. 
As for ‘Working for Wetlands’, there are currently 50 wetland rehabilitation projects under  way, for example, Rietvlei supplies nearly 20 per cent of Pretoria’s water and is owned by  the municipality. Rietvlei diffuses the flow of water through the wetland that provides  natural water purification services free of charge. 

[Adapted from Working for wetlands: mrwworkingforwetlandscs.pdf Accessed on 10 November 2018]