South Africans competing with alien invader plants for local water resources

7% of our average run-off is consumed by alien invaders. - Kader Asmal

SA Breweries used around four litres of fresh water to produce a litre of beer. Other industries have a higher ratio of consumption to yield, but few are yet taking the first step of voluntarily reviewing what their impact is. - Kader Asmal

clipped from www.iol.co.za There's certainly room for action on preserving fresh water resources with damming rivers, like the fact that 7 percent of our mean annual run-off is consumed by alien vegetation - that's the equivalent of 26 large dams each year. In the past, "investment" has meant building dams. As a result, South Africa has 539 dams, by far the most of any African country. It's common knowledge that South Africa is a water-stressed country and that at current consumption rates our demand for it will outstrip supply by 2015. That overarching imperative demands action and investment.  Don't be surprised by water-shedding