Albeit a water-strained country, South Africa has one of the most diverse economies in the world for the ecosystem in which it is embedded, according to University of the Free State professor and water expert Dr Anthony Turton.

Speaking at the ninth yearly Green Building Conference in Sandton, Gauteng, on Wednesday, Turton noted, however, that while South Africa had achieved major feats in water engineering technology, such as the engineering involved in cascading water from one basin to another, the reality is that it has reached constraints in terms of efficiently managing the water crisis. He added that the only area in the country that will have a surplus of water over time is Gauteng, and that will be from sewage return flow.