South Africa could paralyse its economy if it does not immediately address the critical water crisis in the country which extends well beyond the Mother City. This was the finding of a recent report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) commissioned by the Water Research Commission titled A Delicate Balance: Water Scarcity in South Africa. The report sketches a grim picture of the water situation.
“While Cape Town’s water crisis dominates headlines, the problem extends well beyond the Mother City. Since 2015, five provinces have been declared disaster areas and South Africa now faces its worst drought in 23 years,” reads the report. According to Zachary Donnenfeld, ISS senior researcher, the prognosis is not good judging by the findings of the report which looked at the long-term forecast of the national water supply and demand.
Donnenfeld said despite the ongoing drought this was not the reason for concern, but rather increasing demand. “The country is overexploiting its water resources and only intense fiscal investment and determined political will can prevent disaster 20 years from now.”
According to Donnenfeld not only are the surface water storage levels nationwide at a moderately low level, but they are being over-rexploited as are all the rivers. “South Africa is also struggling with wastewater treatment and there are questions over how efficiently it is exploiting groundwater. “The country must start using water more responsibly and implement a tiered pricing system that can assist in cultivating a culture of conservation. Per capita water use in South Africa is well above the global use and while there is a lot of dispute about these figures, I don’t think the exact numbers are important in a water-scarce country,” he said.
Water scarcity is already directly impacting economic development in the country. Dhesigen Naidoo, CEO of the Water Research Commission, said securing water for South Africa required an enabling legislative and policy regime that included an updated institutional framework. “Water and resource literacy amongst South African residential and corporate users is paramount,” he said.
Quote: Only intense fiscal investment and determined political will can prevent disaster 20 years from now. – Zachary Donnefield
