The drought increased by the effects of climate change is causing that, CapeCape Town, South Africa's second largest city and the country's tourist hub, is on the verge of running out of water. If tourists and residents of Cape Town don't drastically reduce their consumption, the city will run out of water by April 12. It is the first modern city to run out of water. How do you intend to deal with the situation?
Day zero
The date of April 12, 2018 has been called "Day Zero". That is the date where, if the consumption habits of its inhabitants and tourists are not changed, the city will run out of water. Cape Town is at 13,5% capacity and given the extreme drought situation and increased water evaporation caused by higher temperatures, the depletion of water is imminent.
If consumption does not decrease, the city will be forced to interrupt its water distribution. Despite the efforts, the deadline until Day Zero not only remains a more than probable threat, but has been getting shorter.
The measure that has been launched by the authorities in the area to combat the problem of drought is that citizens only consume a maximum of 50 liters per person per day. This is a very drastic reduction, considering that a 5-minute shower can use up to 100 liters of water, according to the WHO. This situation is not unique, as there are other countries suffering from similar droughts and the consequences can also be consulted in Spain.
The drought ravaging the area is an unusual phenomenon, as it stems not only from the lack of rainfall that characterized the previous rainy season (April-October), but also from the fact that rainfall was particularly low in the previous two years. It is interesting to note that proper management of water resources is crucial, as mentioned in the analysis on forests that are more resistant to drought.
Cape Town without water
Weather forecasts do not predict rainfall until April. Authorities maintain a glimmer of hope that this rainfall will arrive sooner and remain open to tourism, despite the fact that the peak tourist season coincides with the driest months of the year. In fact, the drought has led to the implementation of sustainable water use strategies, which can be found in the article on reservoirs affected by drought.
Just two years ago, the city used 1.200 billion liters of water. Today, that consumption has been cut in half. According to Tim Harris, executive director of the Official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, this extreme drought event only occurs once every thousand years, and therefore, water consumption is even more restricted. For more information, please consult the effects that drought has on different regions.
Although the drought is ravaging the city, the tourist season has been very good. Harris has assured that even if Day Zero arrives and the taps stop working in residential areas, hotels will be among the businesses whose operations are guaranteed. It is also interesting to note that the drought in Kenya has had a similar impact.
And what is better, we have seen an incredible response from tourists in saving water. They have enthusiastically joined the efforts, they have realized that they can be part of the solution by joining the spirit of Cape Town, ”Harris stressed.
Of the 25.637 million dollars (about 20.615 million euros) that the region entered through this sector in 2016 (according to the 2017 edition of the report "UNWTO Panorama of International Tourism"), 7.910 million (about 6.360 million euros) were added via South Africa (30,85%).
Tourism in Cape Town is becoming more frequent and popular. In 2017, 1,3 million tourists visited the city. It should also be noted that the drought is only affecting the Western Cape. There are many areas where there is abundant water, although the current situation is critical and proper resource management is needed, similar to that of the strategy to deal with drought in different regions of the world.
As you can see, drought is affecting many areas across the planet, and the most disastrous consequences are already imminent. Solutions such as reducing water consumption are only preventive, since if there isn't enough rain, it's only a matter of time before the water runs out. Therefore, the creation of policies that help manage water is vitally important.
