Irresponsible use of Bloemhof Dam leads to man-made crisis – AfriForum

The continued use of the Bloemhof Dam as a storage reservoir instead of a flood control dam is unacceptable, according to AfriForum, as communities downstream have once again suffered severe damage. The Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS) failure to ensure that sufficient storage reservoirs are built has led to the Bloemhof Dam being used outside its original purpose – with disastrous consequences.

“When the dam’s capacity reaches critical levels, sluices are forced open, leading to so-called man-made floods. These floods cause widespread damage to infrastructure and put communities’ lives at risk. This is a direct result of poor planning and a lack of proactive management. The current practice is not only unsustainable, but also dangerous and unacceptable,” says Tarien Cooks, Disaster Management Specialist at AfriForum.

Disaster management around the world has moved away from a reactive to a proactive approach, and a good example of this is Hurricane Sandy in New York in 2012, where damage was limited, loss of life was minimal, and infrastructure was quickly restored. However, this philosophy must be applied by all government departments, including the DWS, to limit loss of life, as well as financial and infrastructure damage.

“If the Bloemhof Dam is managed effectively as a flood control dam, future damage can be prevented or significantly reduced. The dam was specifically built to control flood waters so that communities living downstream do not suffer damage when the sluices of the Vaal Dam are opened,” says Cooks.

The North West’s Disaster Management Department does not have sufficient funds to support the communities affected by the man-made flood. That is why AfriForum has set up its own emergency fund to help these and other communities when there is a disaster.

Members of the public can contribute to the emergency fund at any time. Click here to make a contribution now.