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Cape Town‘s water crisis - What is the government doing?

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Find ten words you can associate with  tourism.

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When Cape Town revealed it was fast hurtling towards the moment it would become the first city on earth to run out of water earlier this year, it caught the world's attention.

Initial predictions said the taps in this South African city of four million people should have run dry by April.

But despite the odds appearing stacked against it, the dams never fell to 13.5% - the level needed to reach "Day Zero", which has now been pushed back to next year at the earliest.

The rains have finally arrived, and Cape Town appears to have pulled itself back from the brink - for now.

So, what lessons have been learned?

Icebergs could be the answer

At times like this, it is probably always worth thinking outside the box.

But when Nick Sloane - a South African salvage captain known for righting the Costa Concordia - announced he could solve the issue by dragging a 100 million tonne iceberg north from the Antarctic, more than a few eyebrows were raised.

But, Capt Sloane assured the BBC's Newsday programme, it is completely possible.

"At any one time there are thousands of icebergs which have broken off drifting around the Southern Ocean," he said.

"Most of the icebergs are pushed south by the Agulhas current. We going to try and guide the iceberg into a different current: the Benguela current."

The current, he explained, is cold so the iceberg would be preserved - and crucially would be taken some 1,200 nautical miles north to near Cape Town, where it should - in theory - come to a halt on the sea bed.

But why go to all this effort? Well, one of these icebergs would provide enough water for a third of Cape Town's residents for an entire year.

Cape Town's deputy mayor Ian Neilson still needs to be convinced though - especially because moving icebergs thousands of miles is not without risk, and definitely not cheap.

Drought-hit Cape Town rejoices at rainfall

Life in Cape Town: 'My wife doesn't shower any more'

"The questions are: 'What is the price, how long is it going to take?'" he told the BBC. "So a really strong case would need to be made."

And anyway, the city already has its own plans in place to supplement its dams.

"Certainly, we are driving projects around ground water, water reuse and desalination, and until we see something better that's what we will do," he explained.

Which seems to suggest that another idea, mooted more than a decade ago, to drive water 2,500 miles from the Congo River to Cape Town is probably not going to happen.

Which is good, because that water is also being eyed up as a possible solution to Africa's vanishing lake.

You can live on 50 litres of water a day...

The crisis really caught the world's attention after it was announced citizens would only be allowed to live on 50 litres of water a day.

But Capetonians quickly adapted. Ninety-second showers, unflushed loos and dirty cars are matters of pride in Cape Town homes, while some restaurants have completely shut off their bathroom taps, forcing customers to opt for hand sanitizer instead, and many public swimming pools are empty.

And it has worked.

"We have got our overall consumption down by 50%," said Mr Neilson. "It could not have been achieved by just a small number of people. Very clearly, there has been a change in people's approach to water."

Of course, there are places still boasting perfectly manicured, green lawns. But generally these all come with a sign on the wall declaring - somewhat defensively - "borehole water", meaning they are not using the mains supply.

Borehole digging, in turn, has become a new source of income for Cape Town's entrepreneurs, with adverts offering the service on lampposts across the city.

And if you still suspect your neighbour of not doing their part, there is a handy interactive map which shows exactly how much each street is using.

... the poorest residents already do

When Day Zero was first announced, there was a bit of finger-pointing towards the city's informal settlements, where it was claimed by some that taps ran almost non-stop.

Quite simply, Mr Neilson said, this was not true. According to South Africa's News24, even before the drought, homes in Cape Town's informal settlements used just 40 litres per day.

"Informal settlements use less than 4% of the water. That's not the place where the problem is," Mr Neilson said.

"The big usage was what takes place behind big walls."

It may not be a good idea to tell tourists

Day Zero may have been enough to frighten Capetonians into action, but it had an unfortunate side effect: it also scared the tourists.

Cape Town and the wider Western Cape welcome more than 1.6m international visitors a year - not to mention the 2.1m South Africans who holiday in the region.

But at the height of the crisis, an informal study of 18 businesses by the province's tourism agency, Wesgro, found revenue for January and February had fallen by up to 20% year-on-year.

Which, when 300,000 people rely on tourism for their wage across the Western Cape, was not good news.

But Wesgro responded, encouraging tourists to become part of the solution, and promoting sustainable, "water-wise tourism".

They also sent out the message that Cape Town was still open for business - and it looks like it is working: August and September are seeing year-on-year increases in bookings of 4% and 5% respectively.

And finally: Prevention is better than cure

Cape Town, Mr Nielson admitted, was taken by surprise by the three-year drought which led to the dire warnings.

"The rainfall that we have had has fallen off the charts, and it happened instantly - overnight," he says.

"Change can happen and hit you far more quickly and more dramatically than you anticipated. So how do you prepare for that?

"If you depend on just one source of water supply only, you need to change and diversify. You must start putting things into place before this disaster happens so you already have this resilience built in."

Cape Town should now be able to build up its own ability to withstand another drought like this one, not only with its water plans, but also by putting in new legislation to ensure homes are more water-efficient in the future.

But more than that, it is hoped people will stick to the changes they have made - albeit eventually in a less draconian way.

After all, following the last big drought it took a decade for water consumption to reach its previous levels, Mr Neilson said.

And what's more, saving water has now become a badge of honour for the city's residents.

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How an iceberg could ease Cape Town's water crisis

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When Cape Town revealed it was fast hurtling towards the moment it would become the first city on earth to run out of water earlier this year, it caught the world's attention. Initial predictions said the taps in this South African city of four million people should have run dry by April.

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South Africa tourism CEO: Water-conscious travelers can still visit Cape Town during crisis

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The South African government declared Cape Town's water crisis a "natural disaster" as the city nears the so-called "Day Zero" when taps will run dry. Sisa Ntshona, CEO for South Africa's tourism board, spoke to CBSN about why tourists can still visit the city during the drought.

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Matching exercise

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Match the defininitions to its meanings.

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WATER CRISIS IN SA: What this means for farmers and you

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🇿🇦 Cape Town farmers laid off amid water crisis | Al Jazeera English

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The conversation

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Lagoons and vineyards from Gydo Pass in the Western Cape. Water is crucial for such commodities. Shutterstock

Much has been written about the ongoing drought and critical water shortages in the city of Cape Town. Residents are bracing themselves for Day Zero - the moment at which most of the city's domestic taps will run dry.

But there's also a great deal to worry about beyond the city's limits and deeper into the surrounding farmlands of the Western Cape. Agriculture is an important part of the province's socioeconomic fabric. The sector contributes 2% to South Africa's national GDP, more than a fifth of which comes from the Western Cape.

The province's major commodities are horticulture - fruit, wine and vegetables. It also produces livestock, meat and dairy; and field crops like wheat, barley and canola. All need water - and lots of it. The allocation of water for irrigation varies depending on the catchment area in question. For example, a third of the water in the Western Cape Water Supply System - which also serves the city of Cape Town - goes to irrigation. But in an area south east of Cape Town known as the Breede Gouritz catchment area over 75% goes to irrigation.

Agricultural water is allocated to individual farmers annually on the basis of crop type and area planted. It is given for use if and when the farmer chooses, during and after the growing season.

There's a real risk that the water shortage could see farmers' yields decimated during this growing season which is from September to March for irrigated crops, and from from May to October for rainfed crops. The long term impact could also be disastrous. Consecutive loss-making years could bankrupt farmers leading to many abandoning agriculture entirely. And as research elsewhere has shown, it could lead to suicides.

In periods of water stress, farmers need support, research assistance and empathy from governments and competing water users. Other countries provide examples of how this can be done.

The Australian case

Australia's Millennium drought was categorised by low rainfall conditions in late 1996 and throughout 1997 in southern Australia. It included some of its largest cities and agricultural regions. The drought worsened through 2001 and 2002, followed by the years 2006 to 2008 which were the driest on record. Conditions remained hot and dry through to early 2010.

The drought had a severe impact on irrigated agriculture. Farmers in the region relied solely on water from dams for agriculture and domestic consumption.

The social impact on rural communities included unemployment and loss of household income, diminished local businesses and services and recreational opportunities as well social consequences. The drought also changed the way Australian agriculture treated its water resources, and those who depended on them.

But there are some important differences between Australia and South Africa. One is that mechanisation levels are high in Australia and there's very little unskilled labour. In South Africa there's a very high dependence on unskilled labour.

In 2017 there were 215 000 employees in the agriculture sector in the region, an estimated 75% were seasonal workers.

Seasonal workers in South Africa usually settle in the production area, often in informal settlements. Their earnings result from work during the harvest period which stretches from between one month to three. In many cases the earning period must sustain them for the rest of the year. Whole families are dependent on this income and any job losses can have a severe impact including food insecurity, delinquency, alcohol and drug dependency and crime, as well as lack of self-esteem and domestic violence.

Significant job losses in the agricultural sector could also lead to considerable social unrest, as happened in the past.

Impact of the drought

The drought has already begun to affect how farmers use water. Some of the behaviour changes are worrying. For example, farmers have started hoarding water when it's available. Some aren't in a position to store enough water and are withdrawing more than normal for this period (but still within their overall allocation) in the expectation that a post-harvest irrigation will not be available.

But there have been some positive developments too. Some farmers with adequate and even spare water in their own dams have volunteered to donate this to the city.

But the lack of rain has already led to lower crop production which has meant that fewer workers are needed.

In many areas production volumes of wine and fruit are expected to fall by 10%-30%. During the Millennium drought, Australia's agricultural production levels fell drastically.

But it is worth noting that the industry in Australia made a full recovery during the relatively wet period after the drought.

So far the damage to trees and vines in the Cape has been limited. While the horticulture industry will suffer economic losses, the industry will recover, if not immediately, then over a few seasons if water for irrigation is restored by next September. It is, however, too soon to say what the long term impact will be in terms of soil quality, farmer confidence and water allocations.

Most domestic users are able to curtail their use of water without affecting their livelihood significantly. But the agricultural industry is completely dependent on an equitable share of this resource.

A very fine equilibrium between accountable water allocation and responsible use of the limited resource is needed for the two competing sets of users. This requires empathy, negotiation, compromise and carefully considered trade-offs, all undertaken with Solomonic wisdom.

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How Western Cape farmers are being hit by the drought

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Much has been written about the ongoing drought and critical water shortages in the city of Cape Town. Residents are bracing themselves for Day Zero - the moment at which most of the city's domestic taps will run dry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lagoons and vineyards from Gydo Pass in the Western Cape. Water is crucial for such commodities. Shutterstock

Much has been written about the ongoing drought and critical water shortages in the city of Cape Town. Residents are bracing themselves for Day Zero - the moment at which most of the city's domestic taps will run dry.

But there's also a great deal to worry about beyond the city's limits and deeper into the surrounding farmlands of the Western Cape. Agriculture is an important part of the province's socioeconomic fabric. The sector contributes 2% to South Africa's national GDP, more than a fifth of which comes from the Western Cape.

The province's major commodities are horticulture - fruit, wine and vegetables. It also produces livestock, meat and dairy; and field crops like wheat, barley and canola. All need water - and lots of it. The allocation of water for irrigation varies depending on the catchment area in question. For example, a third of the water in the Western Cape Water Supply System - which also serves the city of Cape Town - goes to irrigation. But in an area south east of Cape Town known as the Breede Gouritz catchment area over 75% goes to irrigation.

Agricultural water is allocated to individual farmers annually on the basis of crop type and area planted. It is given for use if and when the farmer chooses, during and after the growing season.

There's a real risk that the water shortage could see farmers' yields decimated during this growing season which is from September to March for irrigated crops, and from from May to October for rainfed crops. The long term impact could also be disastrous. Consecutive loss-making years could bankrupt farmers leading to many abandoning agriculture entirely. And as research elsewhere has shown, it could lead to suicides.

In periods of water stress, farmers need support, research assistance and empathy from governments and competing water users. Other countries provide examples of how this can be done.

The Australian case

Australia's Millennium drought was categorised by low rainfall conditions in late 1996 and throughout 1997 in southern Australia. It included some of its largest cities and agricultural regions. The drought worsened through 2001 and 2002, followed by the years 2006 to 2008 which were the driest on record. Conditions remained hot and dry through to early 2010.

The drought had a severe impact on irrigated agriculture. Farmers in the region relied solely on water from dams for agriculture and domestic consumption.

The social impact on rural communities included unemployment and loss of household income, diminished local businesses and services and recreational opportunities as well social consequences. The drought also changed the way Australian agriculture treated its water resources, and those who depended on them.

But there are some important differences between Australia and South Africa. One is that mechanisation levels are high in Australia and there's very little unskilled labour. In South Africa there's a very high dependence on unskilled labour.

In 2017 there were 215 000 employees in the agriculture sector in the region, an estimated 75% were seasonal workers.

Seasonal workers in South Africa usually settle in the production area, often in informal settlements. Their earnings result from work during the harvest period which stretches from between one month to three. In many cases the earning period must sustain them for the rest of the year. Whole families are dependent on this income and any job losses can have a severe impact including food insecurity, delinquency, alcohol and drug dependency and crime, as well as lack of self-esteem and domestic violence.

Significant job losses in the agricultural sector could also lead to considerable social unrest, as happened in the past.

Impact of the drought

The drought has already begun to affect how farmers use water. Some of the behaviour changes are worrying. For example, farmers have started hoarding water when it's available. Some aren't in a position to store enough water and are withdrawing more than normal for this period (but still within their overall allocation) in the expectation that a post-harvest irrigation will not be available.

But there have been some positive developments too. Some farmers with adequate and even spare water in their own dams have volunteered to donate this to the city.

But the lack of rain has already led to lower crop production which has meant that fewer workers are needed.

In many areas production volumes of wine and fruit are expected to fall by 10%-30%. During the Millennium drought, Australia's agricultural production levels fell drastically.

But it is worth noting that the industry in Australia made a full recovery during the relatively wet period after the drought.

So far the damage to trees and vines in the Cape has been limited. While the horticulture industry will suffer economic losses, the industry will recover, if not immediately, then over a few seasons if water for irrigation is restored by next September. It is, however, too soon to say what the long term impact will be in terms of soil quality, farmer confidence and water allocations.

Most domestic users are able to curtail their use of water without affecting their livelihood significantly. But the agricultural industry is completely dependent on an equitable share of this resource.

A very fine equilibrium between accountable water allocation and responsible use of the limited resource is needed for the two competing sets of users. This requires empathy, negotiation, compromise and carefully considered trade-offs, all undertaken with Solomonic wisdom.

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How Western Cape farmers are being hit by the drought

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Much has been written about the ongoing drought and critical water shortages in the city of Cape Town. Residents are bracing themselves for Day Zero - the moment at which most of the city's domestic taps will run dry.

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farming and agriculture vocabulary words

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farming and agriculture vocabulary word list

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Farming and agriculture vocabulary, Farming and agriculture word list - www.myvocabulary.com

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Farming and agriculture vocabulary, Farming and agriculture word list - a free resource used in over 40,000 schools to enhance vocabulary mastery & written/verbal skills with Latin & Greek roots.

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Letter of complaint -expressions

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Cape Town, South Africa, which is mired in a three-year drought, is poised to become the world's first major city to run out of water. The city will shut off municipal taps on "Day Zero," currently estimated to be June 4. But for many residents of the city's sprawling, low-income townships, water has always been a rare commodity.

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Listening

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Watch this video and learn about the world water crisis. Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.

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Cape Town - For some residents of drought-stricken Cape Town, the prospect of the taps running dry is almost too much to bear.

For others, the thought of queueing under the scorching summer sun for a meagre daily water ration will be a necessary evil to keep their businesses solvent.

But the day, currently forecast for April 12, has been creeping closer - brought forward by the city's excessive consumption despite repeated public warnings from increasingly panicked officials.

On Day Zero, the ordinary water supply will be shut down and taps will run dry.
READ: Capetonians might have to do 'royal flush' soon
Residents of the city of four million will then be forced to collect a daily water ration of just 25l from 200 water collection points - not even enough for a two-minute shower in normal times.

With about 5000 families for each water collection point, the police and army are ready to be deployed to prevent unrest in the lines.

Farrel Cohen, manager of the Metropolitan Golf Club in Mouille Point close to the city's World Cup stadium, said he was "too afraid to even think about" what "Day Zero" would mean for Cape Town.

"Nobody knows what to expect - people are running to supermarkets to buy water," he said.
READ: Water for all or the city must fall - Cape Town protesters
The central business district will likely be spared a total shut-off to protect the economy.
People take part in a protest against the way the Cape Town city council has dealt with issues around water shortages, on January 28, 2018, in Cape Town. (AFP)
But the full impact of a major global city losing its piped potable water supply is unknown.

Reservoirs around Cape Town, in the grip of its worst drought for a century, have gone largely unreplenished for more than three years in the absence of significant rainfall and are about to run dry.

Residents are now ordered to use just 87l daily - falling to 50l on February 1 - to conserve supply.

A typical shower uses 15l per minute while a standard toilet consumes up to 15l per flush, according to WaterWise, a South African water usage awareness campaign.

'Cancelled trips'

Cohen, whose fairways have suffered from the water restrictions, said that the realities of life after "Day Zero" were hard to understand.

"We haven't been notified, it's a bit of an unknown," he said.

Businesses are feeling the pinch too. As well as having to contend with costly limits on their water use, tourists from home and abroad have been deterred from visiting South Africa's "Mother City".

"I know many overseas visitors who cancelled their trips because of the conditions," said Cohen.

The city has nearly halved its consumption from an estimated 1.1 billion litres a day in 2016 to 586 million litres daily now.

People take part in a protest against the way the Cape Town city council has dealt with issues around water shortages, on January 28, 2018, in Cape Town. (AFP)
But every day that Capetonians use more than 500 million litres brings "Day Zero" forward.

And the fall in consumption is hurting the city in other ways with lost revenues from water bills putting pressure on Cape Town's coffers.

Nikita Elliott, the manager of the "Cape to Cuba" waterfront restaurant in Kalk Bay - a tourist hotspot outside the city centre - is plotting how to keep the business going using only water from standpipes.

"It will be a major extra task and I also think it will be very costly - but business is business, we'll have to do what we can to stay afloat," she said.

'Arrogant and shortsighted'

The restaurant has stopped serving tap water and instead offers bottled water from Durban on the opposite coast.

It has also erected signs encouraging guests to only flush solids, installed a blockage alarm to prevent burst pipes and now washes dishes by hand rather than machine.
READ: So madam minister, where is the water? - asks Cape Town deputy mayor
"We've gone all the way," said Elliott.

"A lot of business owners and regular citizens have taken this into their own hands and are doing what they can."

Marna Esterhuizen, 40, says she wants the current daily individual limit slashed in half immediately to avoid the standpipe scenario.

"I also think the name-and-shame option isn't a bad idea. The water map shows what is happening in some of the wealthier neighbourhoods and that disappoints me - it is arrogant and shortsighted," she said referring to a council-published list of the thirstiest users.

"I miss a nice long shower in the morning, but now I have a timer in the shower to ensure it is only two minutes long."

But less than half of Capetonians are adhering to the current daily water usage limit.

"It is quite unbelievable that a majority of people do not seem to care and are sending all of us headlong towards 'Day Zero'," mayor Patricia de Lille said last week.

She slammed transgressors for "callous" behaviour and said "Day Zero" appeared "very likely".

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Panic and blame as Cape Town braces for water shut-off

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Cape Town - For some residents of drought-stricken Cape Town, the prospect of the taps running dry is almost too much to bear. For others, the thought of queueing under the scorching summer sun for a meagre daily water ration will be a necessary evil to keep their businesses solvent.