Vogt 1 executive summary of part i western cape province in south africa is going through a severe drought. Water security in south africa page 5 development planning division working paper series no. Water scarcity and related environmental problems in parts. Desalination projects in south africa and australia 9 contents list of. It is possible to restore stability to south africas water system, but it will take. The project diverts roughly 40 per cent of the senqu river basins water to south africa s vaal river through a system of canals, pipelines and tunnels.
Pdf climate adaptation and water scarcity in southern africa. What the drought did was highlight existing vulnerabilities in south africa s water system, and properly frame the magnitude of the challenge of ensuring water security for the country. South africa water shortage, cape town drought water. Mar 10, 20 impacts of water scarcity on africa water scarcity has resulted in a wide range of impacts, from health, agricultural, conflicts, productivity and development to women, children and education. When the 1 000 m3year or about 2 700 litresday per person threshold is crossed, water scarcity is experienced. After a few months of drought, dam levels dramatically lowered, causing a fresh water deficiency.
Water stress is a serious issue in many parts of the world. Absolute water scarcity is considered for countries with less 500 m3year or roughly 1 400 litresday per person. The biggest challenge regarding water and development in the country is the provision of basic water services to all and in particular the poor. What the drought did was highlight existing vulnerabilities in south africas water system, and properly frame the magnitude of the challenge of ensuring water security for the country. Agriculture is the biggest consumer of fresh water in south africa with irrigation accounting for approximately 43% of the available water resources in the western cape province. Experiences and lessons in managing water from cape town. This can increase the risk of household water contamination and provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Water is one of the most precious resources on the planet. Nov, 2015 south africa is a water scarce country and ranks as one of the 30 driest countries in the world with an average rainfall of about 40% less than the annual world average rainfall.
South africa receives an annual rainfall of 492 millimetres whereas the rest of the earth receives 985 millimetres. Pdf this paper looks at the intersection of climate change adaptation and water security in southern africa. Western cape water crisis how resilient is your organisation in the face of the current water crisis. Water scarcity in south africa and the precarious road. Residents queue to fill containers with spring water in cape town on february 2, 2018, one of the measures taken to avert day zero. The 2030 water resources group was formed in 2008 to contribute new insights to the increasingly critical issue of water resource scarcity. South africa s high percapita usage rates are also, partly, a function of high levels of nonrevenue water i. Water quality in south africa has been affected by unusual smell and color properties. Sustainable solutions to water scarcity waterworld.
This means that there is up to a 20% chance droughts will occur in the coming 10 years. Water shortage south africa was established to raise the awareness of water shortages in south africa and to facilitate the resolution of this unsatisfactory state of affairs via multiple initiatives from grass roots to national levels. This country has been stricken by affects from the long standing apartheid to the devastation that diseases such as hivaids and tb have caused. The key is to prepare a water scarcity management strategy. The water crisis has had widespread economic and social impacts, with damage to the tourist. Climate adaptation and water scarcity in southern africa. Water scarcity in africa essay example graduateway. In the area you have selected south africa water scarcity is classified as medium according to the information that is currently available to this tool. By changing a citys habits, along with the welcome return of some rain, cape town managed to avert the worst of the water scarcity crisis.
The report focuses on insights relating to the four key urban water markets in south africa. South africa s annual rainfall is 492 millimeters, which is only half of the worlds average. South africa is a water scarce country and ranks as one of the 30 driest countries in the world with an average rainfall of about 40% less than the annual world average rainfall. Jan 16, 2019 but since the start of december, south africas secondlargest city has relaxed restrictions on the use of water by residents and businesses, lowered tariffs on consumption, eased limits on car. The amount of water on earth is constant and cannot be increased or decreased, but it is unevenly distributed across the earth. Feb 10, 2016 water, or rather the lack of it, is an issue that looks set to affect the lives of every person, rich or poor. The causes and impact of water shortage on the households of gakgapane. In theory, as the remaining annual supply of a vital natural resource approaches zero crossing clearly identifiable thresholds of scarcity the marginal value of the. As of 2006, one third of all nations suffered from clean water scarcity, but subsaharan africa had the largest number of water stressed countries of any other place on the planet and of an estimated 800 million people who live in africa, 300 million live in a water stressed environment. At the heart of the climate disaster is water scarcity, affecting rural and urban africans across the board as clean, reliable water sources are diminishing at an alarming pace. By this definition, 49 countries are water stressed, 9 of which experience water scarcity and 21 absolute water scarcity. Western cape province in south africa is going through a severe drought, affecting in particular the highly populated urban area of cape town and its water supply.
Scenarios for the future of water in south africa 2017 page 7 south africa is approaching physical water scarcity by 2025, and its socioeconomic development has been directly hampered by the recent drought. More than 1 billion people do not have access to a source of clean drinking water, and around 3 billion experience water scarcity at least. It is a goto book for students, professionals and regular citizens when information is required regarding. Water scarcity in subsaharan africa 52 impact assessment and project appraisal march 2002 location and use of rural pit latrines can result in the pollution of public water sources and groundwater, leading to the risk of faecal contamination of drinking water supplies, especially from handdug wells. Impact of water shortage in south africa your neighbourhood. Pdf the impact of water scarcity on economic development. The causes and impact of water shortage on the households.
South africa is often described as a waterscarce country. Water scarcity solutions for south africa south african. The current drought is the effect of a sustained belowaverage monthly rainfall series since 2015, which intensified in the last wet season april to september 2017. Impacts of water scarcity on africa water scarcity has resulted in a wide range of impacts, from health, agricultural, conflicts, productivity and development to women, children and education. Abstract the issue of water scarcity and socioeconomic impact of water shortage on small scale farmers is a reality in many developing countries including pakistan.
Within this region, on average citrus fruits and grapes can demand as much as 7 00011 000 m3hayr of water for irrigation. Some projections estimate that south africa already exploits about 98% of its available water supply resources. Water scarcity, a failing water system and alternative solutions to an increasingly arid south africa were the points of focus at a gibb engineering and architecture round table discussion in. Coping with water scarcity in agriculture a global framework for action in a changing climate why a global framework for action on water scarcity in agriculture is needed the world is thirsty, because it is hungry water is essential for agricultural1 production and food security. This book promotes better understanding and awareness of south africa significant water problems by describing the countrys and especially the upper vaal rivers water resources.
Water stress in subsaharan africa council on foreign. It then reflects on whether the country is water secure and, if not, what is required to rectify the situation. With a complete lack of water, humans can only live up to 3 to 5 days on average. Subsaharan africa is the home to hundreds of millions of people who suffer from water scarcity issues 2. Southern africa faces acute water scarcity challenges due to.
Cape town, south africa drastic efforts are underway in south africa to save a major, modern city from running out of water for the first time ever. Sep 20, 2015 subsaharan africa is the home to hundreds of millions of people who suffer from water scarcity issues 2. Integrated water resource management iwrm is becoming recognised as the only sustainable solution to water scarcity. Water, or rather the lack of it, is an issue that looks set to affect the lives of every person, rich or poor. The drought devastating parts of south africa will cause the countrys farmers to lose up to r10 billion this year. Government on water scarcity and drought south african. This often forces those living in water deprived regions to turn to unsafe water resources, which, according to the world health organization, contributes to the spread of waterborne diseases including typhoid. Thus south africa is classified as a water stressed country. While dam water levels had been declining since 2015, the cape town water crisis peaked during mid2017 to mid2018 when water levels hovered between 15 and 30 per cent of total dam capacity.
The group aimed to create an integrated fact base on the potential technical levers and costs for reducing water scarcity, with the ultimate goal of advancing solutionsdriven dialogue among stakeholders. Commercial and industrial businesses residential new property developments municipalities based on population and economic growth projections, south africa could have a 17% gap between supply and demand by 2030. The food and agriculture organization says 45 countries, including south africa, are experiencing critical water shortages. South africa 2010 59 water water south africa can be proud of the strides achieved in the design and development sector, which enabled the country to successfully host the world cup whilst minimising the associated demand for freshwater resource. But since the start of december, south africa s secondlargest city has relaxed restrictions on the use of water by residents and businesses, lowered tariffs on consumption, eased limits on car. The lesotho highlands water project lhwp, which began operation in 1986, transfers water from the landlocked enclave to the industrial and mining heartland of south africa. Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the.
Water scarcity often encourages people to store water in their homes. The government and media quite rightly give high priority to the consequences of the devastating drought we are facing in south africa and further afield. Cape town, south africa experienced an especially severe drought in 2017 2018. In january 2018, when officials in cape town announced that. Oct 18, 2019 water scarcity, a failing water system and alternative solutions to an increasingly arid south africa were the points of focus at a gibb engineering and architecture round table discussion in. South africas high percapita usage rates are also, partly, a function of high levels of nonrevenue water i. Not too long ago, it was primarily viewed as part of the suite of issues which. The world health organization who has reported that more than 40 percent of the global water stressed population lives in subsaharan africa 3.
Discover its causes and effects, but most importantly the solutions to the water crisis. How resilient is your organisation in a time of a water crisis in the western cape. State of water in south africa a researchers perspective. Water shortage south africa zero water shortage in south africa. May 10, 2017 water quality in south africa is considered a difficult issue, and the country has struggled to supply some rural and local municipalities. South africa still struggles with the legacy of racial inequality including its implications. This makes south africa the worlds 30th driest country. Swedish university of agricultural sciences, slu, uppsala, sweden. South africa s water scarcity could get rapidly worse as supply contracts and demands escalates due to growth, urbanization, unsustainable use, degradation of wetlands, water losses and a decrease in rainfall due to climate change. Water security in south africa building africas prosperity. About twice the size of texas it is home to 49 million people. South africa s unallocated water resources have dwindled to precariously low levels. In this region, only an estimated 44 percent of the urban population and 24 percent of the rural population have adequate sanitation 4.
Pdf water shortage in south africa is a mixture of many factors. This brief investigates whether observed water scarcity in south africa can be attributed. Freshwater challenges of south africa and its upper vaal. The impact of water scarcity on economic development. Water scarcity and related environmental problems in parts of. The drought has taken its toll on the agriculture sector, widening the trade deficit due to losses in maize exports. People in urban areas, usually provided with fresh drinkable tap water, are concerned with the water quality of this years supply. The cape town water crisis in south africa was a period of severe water shortage in the western cape region, most notably affecting the city of cape town. Looking back on cape towns drought and day zero citylab.
South africa has an average annual rainfall of less than 500 mm, while that of the world is about 850 mm. Currently, access to safe water in subsaharan africa. This study considers whether south africa is facing a water crisis and, if so, what the. Water scarcity affects 1 in 3 people in the african region and is getting worse with population growth, urbanization and increases in household and industrial uses. Water scarcity currently affects more than 40% of the global population by 2050, an additional 2. At the heart of the climate disaster is water scarcity, affecting rural and urban africans across the board as clean, reliable water sources are diminishing at. The impact of water scarcity on economic development initiatives. South africa is one of the worlds driest countries and demand for water continues to climb.