In South Africa, droughts predicted by climate experts are forcing residents to reconsider their water consumption on the one hand and municipalities to re-examine their water supply strategies on the other.
Although South Africa has always been a water-scarce country, the severity and frequency of droughts are becoming increasingly worrisome. In recent years, its residents have been hit not only by water shortages, but also by a supply that is often unsafe to drink!
In 2018, after three years of drought, the metropolis of Cape Town (South Africa) was even faced with a total drying up of its dams … Consequence for the inhabitants of the city: a restriction to 50 liters per day and per person. In fact, to anticipate the phenomenon, the country is considering new strategies such as the desalination of sea water, the capture of groundwater or innovative solutions for recycling wastewater.
When needs exceed supply
The agencies responsible for water management and distribution, together with disaster management teams, should already be preparing South Africa for the next drought. That’s what the Southern Africa experts at the International Water Management Institute say…
According to their projections, by 2030, the country’s water needs will exceed supply by about 17%! The cause: the rapid increase in population, especially in urban areas where the availability of the essential resource remains the same despite a demographic crescendo.
In 2019, Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Housing, Water and Sanitation had already launched a national master plan for water and sanitation to address one of the country’s most important challenges… But there is still a lot to do…
