Frontlines of Freshwater
While mankind has found alternatives to almost everything we use daily, fresh water remains irreplaceable. Increasing populations living near water sources exacerbate the impact of fertilizers, untreated sewage, mining waste, and pollution on our freshwater ecosystems. Rivers, streams, and dams around Africa are having the life choked out of them by an insidious invader that is wreaking havoc on our aquatic ecosystems. The urgency of our fresh water challenges are highlighted by developments in Feb 2025 in legal measures planning to be taken against municipal managers to address the national sewage crisis in South Africa.
Water hyacinth, native to South America, has proliferated in Loskop Dam due to nutrient-rich waters flowing from the Olifants River. Dense mats of the plant block sunlight and deplete oxygen, destabilizing aquatic ecosystems and threatening native species.
Starting on Friday, January 10th, 2025, key players of the Mpumalanga community came together to tackle the ecological and economic devastation posed by the highly invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Often referred to as South Africa’s worst invasive plant, water hyacinth threatens Loskop Dam and the country’s second-largest agriculture and irrigation scheme. Without sustained intervention, Loskop Dam could face a crisis similar to that of Hartbeespoort Dam, where dense mats of water hyacinth immobilized 30 boats in just a matter of days.
The Loskop Irrigation Board oversees management of the Loskop Dam and downstream areas, while the Department of Environmental Affairs and Nature Conservation is responsible for upstream oversight, ensuring protection against potential pollution-causing activities that could impact ecosystems like the Olifants and Wilge Rivers. The dam is also a key node in the R1.67 billion Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply Project, which will supply water to over 130,000 people in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
The Loskop Irrigation Board, WeWild Africa, MTPA, and Friends of Loskop went beyond their standard operating jurisdiction, using their own funds and resources to install cables and ropes to catch the hyacinth, along with mechanical and chemical removal. A meeting scheduled for March 5th will convene governmental, local, and private stakeholders to discuss revitalizing the Olifants River Forum and strategizing the future actions for the Loskop Dam Water Clean-Up for the decades to come.
For the past two years, I have led the photography and videography for the Loskop Dam Rewilding and Expansion Project with WeWild Africa. It began with capturing the beautiful potential of the reserve and its wildlife, documenting successful breeding programs for black-footed cats, ground hornbills, the remarkable release of a badger from the UK, and development of new infrastructure like borehole drilling and road grading. Each month brought new challenges, from photographing the analysis of heavy metals and other pollutants in fish and cormorants to spending a week documenting the invasive water hyacinth during January’s heavy rains.
My consistent involvement has expanded my role from documentation to participating in operational efforts and strategic meetings. Being part of South Africa’s second-largest agricultural scheme, I care about the health and quality of life of the people around me, which drives me to engage in and document the long-term planning and management of this vital freshwater resource.
I captured images for the Loskop Dam project using a Canon R5C, equipped with a 150-500mm lens and a 15-35mm wide-angle lens with a variable ND filter.. For aerial views, I used a DJI Mavic 3 Pro, also equipped with an ND filter. The key to this project has been my consistent presence, allowing me to document not just the changing landscape but also ongoing human activities and their impact.
