OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

professional capacity within the member states hampers full expression of this protocol. Since the Olifants
basin is considered to be a sub-basin of the Limpopo basin, South Africa and Mozambique are part of a larger
group of four basin states with have jointly formed a Joint Permanent Technical Commission (JPTC) to deal with
matters of common interest relating to the Limpopo River and all its tributaries. This Commission deals with
matters such as joint flow gauging exercises and inter-basin transfers, as well as dealing with proposed new
water development projects by each of the member states. This institutional arrangement appears to work well
at an operational level.
Both South Africa and Mozambique maintain their own system of meteorological and hydrological data
collection, primarily for use at the national level. Whilst these systems are at very different levels of coverage,
the data does enable the basin states to collaborate on monitoring programmes and predict rainfall and runoff in
the Olifants basin. Recent improvements in weather radar systems and satellite monitoring systems help to
expand and improve the regional coverage.
Nine sub-catchments have been recognized in the South African sector of the Olifants basin, with one additional
sub-catchment located in Mozambique. Both flow and water quality data for the South African sector of the
Olifants basin are obtainable from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). No water quality or
flow data are available for the Mozambique sector of the Olifants basin.
5.1.6 Mining and mineral processing operations within the Olifants basin
There are a large number of mining operations exploiting a wide variety of minerals in the Olifants basin; the
locations of these operations are shown in Figure 4.2, whilst the mines located in the South African sector of
the Olifants basin are shown in more detail in Figure 4.3. In Mozambique, there are no mining operations
located within the Olifants basin.
Data on the type of mine, size, operational status and location of mining operations are presented in the
respective sections for each sub-catchment, along with inferences on potential impact. The high/medium/low
inference for potential impact was arrived at using the criteria in Table 1.3 and is discussed sub-catchment by
sub-catchment in the following sections. A summarizing overview of the actual and potential impacts on water
resources and water quality in each sub-catchment of the Olifants basin is given in Section 5.11.
In the following portions of this sections of the report that contain descriptions of the mining and mineral
processing activities in each sub-catchment, it is important to refer to Figures 4.2 and 4.3 for the positions of
the different sub-catchments within the Olifants basin.
5.2 The Wilge sub-catchment
5.2.1 General description
5.2.1.1 Hydrology
This sub-catchment consists of the area drained by the Wilge River and its tributary stream, down to the point
where the Wilge River joins the Olifants River immediately upstream of the Loskop Dam (Figure 4.2). The
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