Anatomy of a South African Karst Hydrosystem

This book combines the results of the research activities in the assessment of water resources environment and an integrated water resource monitoring program to support preservation efforts of the aquatic environment of the Cradle of Humankind (COH), World Heritage Sites. A poor understanding of the surface and groundwater resources of the COH property has precipitated often alarmist reporting in the media regarding the negative impacts associated with various sources of poor quality water. The most notable of these is the acid mine drainage threat to karst ecosystems and fossil sites across the property. These circumstances have generated wide and considerable concern for the preservation of the UNESCO-inscribed fossil sites and integrity of the water resources of the property.