Eastern Cape Communities Report Losses from Kat River Pollution
Residents of 13 villages along South Africa's Kat River rely on it for water, food, and cultural practices. Research shows pollution and sewage discharge have degraded the river over two decades, reducing resources and harming community well-being.
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Residents of 13 villages in South Africa’s Eastern Cape have mapped the vital role the Kat River plays in their daily lives, highlighting its importance beyond just water supply.
The 152-kilometre Kat River provides drinking water, supports livestock, smallholder and citrus farming, and supplies fish, reeds, wood, sand, and medicinal plants. It also serves as a site for swimming, religious, and spiritual activities.
However, over the past 20 years, periodic sewage discharge has increasingly polluted the river, degrading water quality and reducing the availability of natural resources. Community members report fewer fish and reeds, and diminished access to recreational and cultural sites.
According to research involving local villagers, farmers, and the Kat River Catchment Forum, these environmental changes have led to losses in food, income, materials, recreational opportunities, cultural connections, and health.
About 80% of participants emphasized the river’s resources as very important to their well-being, underscoring the broader social and economic impact of the river’s decline in this rural South African region.