Initiating community participation: the stakeholder communication and environmental education programme

Under the new National Water Act the River Health Programme has Stakeholder Communication and Environmental Education (SCEE) as one of its components. This programme seeks to develop tools to help water resource managers involve previously disadvantaged communities in managing river ecosystems sustainably. This paper discusses the processes, procedures and methods undertaken in the pilot studies for SCEE. It stresses the need for respect for the cultural lifestyles of indigenous peoples, because traditional knowledge can build on the scientific knowledge of our country's aquatic ecosystems.