WATER SCARCITY
SA recovering from drought but crisis is ongoing
Gauteng, the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal benefit the most from the recent rainfall, but the Western Cape’s shortage remains dire
SA’s drought outlook has improved but restrictive measures on water use will remain in some places as the country counts the costs of one of worst dry spells on record. In 2016, SA recorded its driest year on record. At its worst, the drought devastated dam levels to record lows, highlighting the fact that SA is a water-scarce country. But there has been a respite, with recent rains lifting capacity with the country’s 211 dams rising to 71% in February. Gauteng, the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal benefited the most from the rainfall, but the water situation in the Western Cape remains precarious, with its dams levels having dropped to just more than 30%. Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has appealed for the metro to be declared a disaster area. A joint meeting of the portfolio committee on water and sanitation and the portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs was briefed by officials from the departments of co-operative governance and traditional affai...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.