5. Conclusion

In this chapter, the ecosystem-based approach to managing water quality was critically reviewed with a clear focus on environmental water quality (EWQ). The three pillars to EWQ were discussed and their contributions and limitation highlighted. Of particular interest is that, in this chapter, the relevance of the EWQ approach was discussed with respect to its application to water resources management in South Africa. It is argued that the EWQ is an integrative approach for sound and sustainable management of water quality. The biomonitoring case study illustrated the utility of one of the three pillars of the EWQ approach.
