Water Quality Management in the Wildlife Lodge Industry: A Multiple Case Study in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana

Water is one the most important substances on earth as all living organisms require it to survive. It is a vital component for human survival in the form of direct consumption as well as food production. Water is equally important for the tourism industry as water is utilised throughout the tourism value chain for the provision of services to guests. Many tourism lodges in the wildlife lodge industry in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana are in remote areas where little to no infrastructure exists. These lodges are dependent on natural water sources such as rivers, dams and boreholes to supply their water demands. Another significant aspect of the lodges is that staff has to reside on the property due to the lack of nearby housing, roads and public transport. One of the challenges for the lodges is that residing staff have to use the water for domestic purposes and therefore managers have to ensure that the water quality is of such standard that it does not pose health risks for staff and guests. Water quality management in the wildlife lodge industry is one of the most important, if not the most important aspect of the industry. The authors obtained secondary data in the form of water quality analysis done at the lodges across these three countries. The study investigated whether lodges did water quality analysis at source, tap and wastewater discharge. Furthermore, the results of the water quality analysis were subjected to their adherence to the relevant water quality standards of each country. These results provided important information regarding the comprehensiveness of the water quality analysis. The frequency of water quality testing was also determined as this provides a measure of the adherence of lodges to the legal, concession or company requirements as stated in various standards and procedures. The authors concluded that the current systems can be improved to ensure that water quality is managed more sustainably in the wildlife industry. The biggest concern relates to wastewater discharge, where very little water quality at points of discharge is available; this has the potential to cause pollution and ecosystem degradation.