The growing evergreen population diminishes water resources needed to irrigate cotton and sugarcane and the revenue generated therefrom is negatively impacted. This costs the livelihoods of local farmers and minimizes water availability to the townspeople. These trees consume excessive amounts and they do so all year round as they do not shed their leaves in the off-season. In the dry season, their roots go deeper resulting in a severe consequence to underground aquifers as well as reduced surface runoff. One tree consumes 1-36 liters per day.
The South African government, after vast studies, established the net benefits of controlling the evergreen population are justified and have created “Work for Water”. This is a program created to control the invasive trees by preventing future propagation and requiring land owners to control them.
source: phys.org
