The situation is exacerbated by rapid population growth and an increasing water demand, limited investment in water infrastructure and projects, mismanagement of water resources, poor water quality and fragile social and institutional capacity which threatens effective governance.

‘There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew” Marshall McLuhan.

As a nation we must manage our natural resources responsibly. We can lose a lot of water doing simple everyday tasks. Did you know that turning off the water while you brush your teeth can save almost 400 litres of water a month? And if you have a leaky faucet, the drips can add up to over 1,000 litres of wasted water a month.  Everyone must play their part to manage our water resources and Sappi is committed to play its part.

Although Sappi does not irrigate its tree farms, plantations use water, and its impact must be managed responsibly. Plantation trees use more water than natural vegetation and are classified as a Stream Flow Reduction Activity (National Water Act (1998).

For this reason, timber companies pay a water use fee per hectare of land planted to trees. Legislation limits further afforestation, and in recent years there has been no expansion on forested areas. In fact, the planted area has shrunk. This however means that to remain economically viable and service the market, existing plantations must be much more productive, and every inch of timber must be used optimally.

Eucalyptus trees use more water than Pine trees. However, on average the difference in water use between Pine and Eucalyptus is so small that it is statistically insignificant.  Water use is influenced by several factors including water availability, soil, climate, site location and tree age.

For example, a Pine in a riverine habitat can use more water than a hybrid Eucalyptus species that has been planted up slope away from water resources.

The most recent scientific paper published by the CSIR on the subject, “Provision of Expert Opinion and Advice in Regard to Proposed Commercial Forestry Genus Exchange Regulations” by Mark Gush in August 2016, indicated that water use difference between Pine and Eucalyptus trees are not as significant as was once thought, when taking all the factors into account.

Did you know? The forestry industry uses only 4.6% of the water used by agriculture in South Africa.

For more information on forestry and water use go to www.forestryexplained.co.za