ORGANISING AROUND WATER: HARNESSING THE LEGAL SYSTEM FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT / Water as kern: Aanwending van die regsisteeni vir landelike ontwikkeling

Abstract

Water in rural areas can act as a catalyst for development. This paper presents a brief theoretical overview of trends of rural domestic water usage in southern Africa. It highlights missing links in contemporary research, project design and implementation, and gives specific emphasis to organisational aspects. The failure to give adequate attention to human infrastructure, specifically organisational issues, often results in unsustainable water projects. Grassroots legal issues have received scant attention. The evolutionary process of organising can be assisted by utilising and adapting conventional legal principles and frameworks. These frameworks can increase the community's capacity to access, and coiitrol, the resources it requires for development. This paper outlines a variety of organisational options and examines their legal implications. These are illustrated by a specific case study.

Uittreksel

Water kan binne die landelike onigewing dien as katalisator vir onhvikkeling. Hierdie referaat verskaf 'n kort teoretiese oorsig van ten-dense binne landelike huishoudelike water verbruik in Suider Afrika. Dit beklemtoon leemtes in kontemporêre navorsing, projek ontwerp and implementering, en lê spesifiek klem op organisatoriese aspekte. Die onvoldoende aandag aan die menslike infrastruktuur, spesifiek organisatoriese aangeleenthede, lei dikwels tot nie-standhoudende water projekte. Regsaspekte op lokale vlak het tot dusver beperkte aandag ontvang. Die evolusionêre proses van organisering kan ondersteun word deur gebruik en aanpassing van konvensionele regsbeginsels en raamwerke. Hierdie raamwerke kan die vemoë van gemeenskappe verhoog om toegang tot, en beheer van, hulpbronne benodig vir ontwikkeling te, bekom. Mierdie referaat dui 'n verskeidenheid van organisatoriese opsies aan en ondersoek die gepaardgaande regasaspekte. Laasgenoemde word vervolgens gel'llustreer deur 'n spesifieke gevallestudie.