Learning from Zeekoe: five lessons about catchment management forums for water resilience

Catchment Management Forums (CMFs) are important platforms for strengthening the water resilience of catchment areas. They bring people from diverse backgrounds around a common goal: responsibly managing our shared water resources. The Zeekoe Catchment Management Forum (ZK-CMF), established in June 2024, stands out as a success in the City of Cape Town’s water governance journey. This initiative – led by the City of Cape Town’s Catchment, Stormwater, and River Management (CSRM) branch – was supported by the Economic Development Partnership (EDP). Was establishing the ZK-CMF a seamless process? Definitely not. Read on to find out what the team learned.

CMFs are collaborative platforms designed to bring together diverse stakeholders—government officials, civil society organisations (CSOs), businesses and community representatives. The objective of these CMFs is to manage and protect water resources in a catchment area. Individuals and representatives from these groups meet to discuss common areas of concern and methods to solve them collaboratively. Some of the challenges that a CMF might address could include improving water quality, managing and preventing localised flooding and thus strengthening the overall catchment resilience. These forums play a critical role in ensuring that all voices, especially those from marginalised groups, are heard in decisions that affect water supply and environmental wellbeing.

The Zeekoe catchment is an 89km² area located in the south-central part of Cape Town, South Africa. The area’s water sources are shared among a variety of communities, including people living in formal and informal settlements. The Zeekoevlei lake is a large freshwater body that makes up most of the water in the catchment and is fed by the Big and Little Lotus rivers. The Zeekoe catchment area is made up of three different geographic locations, each characterised by communities with different socioeconomic statuses.

Establishing a CMF – five lessons

The EDP was tasked with facilitating engagements to establish the ZK-CMF. These engagements included an area mapping workshop in which the forum came together to discuss the current context of the catchment and the problems facing it. The ZK-CMF aimed to establish an inclusive, representative and effective forum. A central goal was to bring the CSRM team’s expertise into the conversation and provide avenues to connect with representatives from civil society and the community. Establishing the ZK-CMF also aimed to ensure the representation of all voices regarding the management of the catchment, including those that had been historically marginalised and underrepresented. Here, the EDP team share five lessons learned from supporting the establishment of the ZK-CMF.

Lesson 1: planning for effective stakeholder engagement takes time

The process of building trust between members of a CMF is critical and takes time and intentional effort to achieve. One of the most important insights from the ZK-CMF project was that it can take more time and effort than initially predicted to engage stakeholders meaningfully. In the case of the ZK-CMF, the invitation process needed to be focused and deliberate, especially for reaching key individuals. Personalised outreach, follow-up calls and flexible meeting arrangements were vital in successfully coordinating meetings with stakeholders. It is essential to allocate ample time for one-on-one and small-group meetings to strengthen relationships and build trust when trying to establish a CMF.

Planning sufficient time for stakeholder engagement also allows future City coordinators supporting the establishment of the CMF to thoroughly understand a catchment area. Taking time to understand the demographic of a catchment and its characteristics is important for future decision-making. This understanding will also feed into intentionally planning meetings to be inclusive and representative of the catchment area.

Lesson 2: neutral facilitation enhances transparency and fairness

The EDP’s role as a neutral facilitator was useful in maintaining objectivity throughout the CMF’s establishment. The usefulness of this impartial stance was particularly evident during the election of the ZK-CMF’s chair and vice-chair. As an external intermediary, the EDP could assist in ensuring the process was transparent and fair. The forum’s elected leadership included representatives from different parts of the catchment area and reflected the diverse and inclusive nature of the stakeholder base.

The EDP’s role as a collaborative intermediary ensured objectivity, fairness and transparency during the establishment of the ZK-CMF. Because the EDP’s impartiality was maintained, the low levels of trust often associated with government-led initiatives was surmountable. This also helped foster inclusivity by creating a space where stakeholders felt comfortable voicing their concerns and perspectives. Having the capability to navigate these complexities of multi-stakeholder dynamics means the EDP kept discussions focused on shared goals and on ensuring the forum’s leadership reflected the diversity of the catchment area.

Lesson 3: capacity-building ensures longevity

The process of supporting the establishment of the ZK-CMF integrated a capacity-building element. The capacity-building effort focused on key areas like stakeholder communication, workshop design and facilitation. As the CSRM team held more ownership of the establishment process of the ZK-CMF, the team gained insights into managing complex engagements and navigating the challenges of working with diverse groups. The capability to build and sustain relationships with stakeholders was a key outcome of this process. The CSRM team’s reflections during the project emphasised the importance of clear communication, adaptability and maintaining a focus on the long-term goal of creating an inclusive and effective CMF.

Lesson 4: reflection and adaptation are keys to success

An essential part of the ZK-CMF establishment was the emphasis on continuous reflection and adaptation. After each major engagement, the EDP facilitated reflection sessions with the CSRM team. These sessions allowed the team to assess what worked, identify challenges and adjust our strategies accordingly. Examples of adjustments based on reflections included shortening meetings to accommodate stakeholders with limited availability, simplifying communication strategies for clarity and tailoring outreach efforts to engage specific stakeholder groups more effectively.

This reflective approach empowered the CSRM team to develop a deeper understanding of the social and political dynamics at play. This appreciation is critical in managing long-term projects like running CMFs. Future CMF projects can benefit from embedding similar reflection sessions at key stages to ensure continuous improvement and adaptability of the process overall.

Lesson 5: clear role definition and expectations funnels collective efforts effectively

A recurring lesson throughout the project was the need for clear role definition and alignment of expectations when external support is involved. Future CMF projects would benefit from prioritising clear communication from the beginning, and ensuring that roles and responsibilities are well-defined and understood by all parties. This clarity can help avoid misunderstandings and create a more collaborative working environment where efforts are more effective. Regular revising of these role definitions and expectations as the project progresses enables team members to make real-time adjustments that ensure the success of the work.

Lessons embedded in the past can shape projects of the future

The establishment of the ZK-CMF offers important glimpses of lessons for future CMF projects in Cape Town and beyond. Building meaningful relationships with stakeholders, maintaining neutrality and focusing on capacity-building are essential for the long-term success of work like this. Embedding a culture of reflection, learning and continuous realignment of expectations ensures teams will remain adaptive to evolving challenges to ensure continuous collaboration.

As Cape Town continues to develop its catchment management strategies, the insights gained from the ZK-CMF process provide a strong foundation for creating inclusive, representative and sustainable water governance structures. These lessons will be invaluable in guiding the establishment and management of future CMFs, contributing to more resilient and collaborative water resource management across the City.

This blog post highlights the core insights from a Lessons Learnt Report produced by the EDP, highlighting key takeaways and practical recommendations for future efforts in successfully establishing CMFs.

Editing: Natalie Tannous.

This blog post is subject to the following disclaimer.