Managing water and food systems in South Africa is complex given the factors involved in sustainably managing the sector. To ensure sustainable management of water and agricultural systems, equal access to natural resources, and economic equality, the government has implemented policies to regulate the systems and ensure economic growth. However, the unintended consequences of these policies on the sustainability of water and agricultural systems have not been fully understood in South Africa. This paper identified and analysed four system archetypes believed to have implications for current water and agricultural development policies in South Africa. These are ‘Limits to Growth’, ‘Fixes that Fail’, ‘Shifting the Burden’, and the ‘Attractiveness Principle’. The results show that policies implemented by the government ensure inclusiveness, equal access to natural resources, and improve productivity in the short-term; the unintended consequences will ultimately undermine sustainability and food security over time.

中文翻译：

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使用系统原型识别耦合水农业系统的行为模式

鉴于可持续管理该部门所涉及的因素，管理南非的水和粮食系统非常复杂。为了确保水和农业系统的可持续管理、自然资源的平等获取和经济平等，政府实施了政策来规范系统并确保经济增长。然而，这些政策对水和农业系统可持续性的意外后果在南非尚未得到充分了解。本文确定并分析了四种被认为对南非当前的水和农业发展政策具有影响的系统原型。这些是“增长的限制”、“失败的修复”、“转移负担”和“吸引力原则”。结果表明，政府实施的政策确保了包容性，平等获得自然资源，并在短期内提高生产力；随着时间的推移，意想不到的后果最终将破坏可持续性和粮食安全。