Making effective use of groundwater to avoid another water supply crisis in Cape Town, South Africa

Olivier, David W.; Xu, Yongxin

Making effective use of groundwater to avoid another water supply crisis in Cape Town, South Africa | Utilisation efficace des eaux souterraines pour éviter Une autre crise d’approvisionnement en eau à Cape Town, Afrique du Sud Uso efectivo del agua subterránea Para evitar otra crisis de suministro de agua en ciudad del Cabo, Sudáfrica 有效利用地下水资源避免南非开普敦水危机的再次发生 Fazendo uso efetivo das águas subterrâneas Para evitar outra crise de abastecimento de água na Cidade do Cabo, África do Sul

2019

Olivier, David W. | Xu, Yongxin

The infamous drought of 2015–2017 in Cape Town (South Africa) provides important lessons on water governance. While it is undeniable that an unprecedented sequence of two record-low rainfall years instigated the ‘water crisis’, this essay argues that the severity of the drought may have been mitigated by good governance, both in terms of diversifying water sources and managing existing supplies. Historically, water authorities have focussed on surface-water resources for Cape Town’s water supply. Cape Town’s ample groundwater has not been utilised to any notable extent. It is concluded that the crisis, once passed, may be viewed as auspicious, for not only did it provide the impetus to adapt Cape Town’s water supply, thereby better incorporating its groundwater resources, but the crisis stands as a case in point to justify future investments in water security, not only for Cape Town, but for other cities as well.

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