A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisis
By 2018, the City of Cape Town (CCT) suffered a third consecutive year of serious drought. This article investigates the chronology of the drought and the various measures imposed by the city council to preserve dwindling water supplies in an effort to stave off the so-called ‘Day Zero’ scenario whe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2018-11-01
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| Series: | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/567 |
| _version_ | 1811198168030773248 |
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| author | Wessel P. Visser |
| author_facet | Wessel P. Visser |
| author_sort | Wessel P. Visser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | By 2018, the City of Cape Town (CCT) suffered a third consecutive year of serious drought. This article investigates the chronology of the drought and the various measures imposed by the city council to preserve dwindling water supplies in an effort to stave off the so-called ‘Day Zero’ scenario when its water reserves would apparently dry up. By means of contemporary sources, water governance sources and other relevant documentation, the trajectory of Cape Town’s water crisis and the political ramifications for its citizens is being investigated. Finally, lessons to be learnt from Cape Town’s dealing with its drought crisis, and other cities that found themselves in similar situations, will be discussed. An analysis of the political fallout and blaming of who should be held responsible for Cape Town’s precarious water situation is also presented. It seems that a combination of factors was responsible for the city’s relative unpreparedness in dealing with the drought: the politically fractured nature of South African multi-tiered government agencies and the lack of an integrated government approach to the drought; the CCT mayor’s unclear and negative communication to rate payers and ineffective water-saving proposals; a fallout between the CCT mayor and her political superiors over the effectiveness of her drought management plans; a dysfunctional, bankrupt and inert national Department of Water and Sanitation; and the expectation that the city’s expenditure on water supply schemes could be put on hold simply by saving the existing supply in the belief that it would remain stable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:27:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-515628a005cf4b7ead8c7f2ee2016f9c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1817-4434 2415-2005 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:27:15Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| spelling | doaj.art-515628a005cf4b7ead8c7f2ee2016f9c2022-12-22T03:53:36ZengAOSISThe Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa1817-44342415-20052018-11-01141e1e1010.4102/td.v14i1.567393A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisisWessel P. Visser0Department of History, University of StellenboschBy 2018, the City of Cape Town (CCT) suffered a third consecutive year of serious drought. This article investigates the chronology of the drought and the various measures imposed by the city council to preserve dwindling water supplies in an effort to stave off the so-called ‘Day Zero’ scenario when its water reserves would apparently dry up. By means of contemporary sources, water governance sources and other relevant documentation, the trajectory of Cape Town’s water crisis and the political ramifications for its citizens is being investigated. Finally, lessons to be learnt from Cape Town’s dealing with its drought crisis, and other cities that found themselves in similar situations, will be discussed. An analysis of the political fallout and blaming of who should be held responsible for Cape Town’s precarious water situation is also presented. It seems that a combination of factors was responsible for the city’s relative unpreparedness in dealing with the drought: the politically fractured nature of South African multi-tiered government agencies and the lack of an integrated government approach to the drought; the CCT mayor’s unclear and negative communication to rate payers and ineffective water-saving proposals; a fallout between the CCT mayor and her political superiors over the effectiveness of her drought management plans; a dysfunctional, bankrupt and inert national Department of Water and Sanitation; and the expectation that the city’s expenditure on water supply schemes could be put on hold simply by saving the existing supply in the belief that it would remain stable.https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/567Cape Towndrought“Day Zero”water restrictionspolitical fall-outwater demand strategy |
| spellingShingle | Wessel P. Visser A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisis The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa Cape Town drought “Day Zero” water restrictions political fall-out water demand strategy |
| title | A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisis |
| title_full | A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisis |
| title_fullStr | A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisis |
| title_full_unstemmed | A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisis |
| title_short | A perfect storm: The ramifications of Cape Town’s drought crisis |
| title_sort | perfect storm the ramifications of cape town s drought crisis |
| topic | Cape Town drought “Day Zero” water restrictions political fall-out water demand strategy |
| url | https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/567 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wesselpvisser aperfectstormtheramificationsofcapetownsdroughtcrisis AT wesselpvisser perfectstormtheramificationsofcapetownsdroughtcrisis |