cape town

How Cape Town Avoided a Water Crisis at the Eleventh Hour

How Cape Town Avoided a Water Crisis at the Eleventh Hour

By Charlotte Edmond Cape Town’s water crisis got so bad last year that there were competitions to see who could wash their shirts the least. Restaurants and businesses were encouraging people not to flush after going to the toilet. The city was just 90 days away from turning off the taps. WWF – SA A […]

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    Cape Town’s ‘Day Zero’ Looms as Dam Levels Drop

    Cape Town’s ‘Day Zero’ Looms as Dam Levels Drop

    After three years of unprecedented drought, the South African metropolis of Cape Town is at risk of becoming the first major city in the world to run out of water. Dam levels fell to 26 percent capacity on Wednesday, compared to 26.3 percent on Monday and 26.6 percent last week. Once the dams reach 13.5 […]

    Water Scarcity Threat to India and South Africa

    Water Scarcity Threat to India and South Africa

    By Alex Kirby Water scarcity is now a real threat in two developing countries at the forefront of efforts to reduce climate change, India and South Africa. This is not the tragically familiar story of extreme weather, stunted crops and foreshortened lives. It is a different sort of threat: to urban life, to industrial development […]

    Will Cape Town Become the First Major City to Run Out of Water?

    Will Cape Town Become the First Major City to Run Out of Water?

    Cape Town is on track to become the first major city in the world to run out of water. The world-renowned tourist destination—and the second-most populous urban area in South Africa after Johannesburg—could approach “Day Zero,” when most taps run dry, by April 21, Mayor Patricia de Lille said Tuesday. “Day Zero” may sound ominous, […]