Cape Town Water Crisis

An entire country is about to run out of water, and no one’s talking about it.

Cape Town, South Africa, is predicted to run out of water on April 15th. The drought in South Africa began in 2015 and is now reaching a critical point, highlighting the severity of the water situation, as well as the lasting effects of the apartheid and the inequality resulting from it.

Cape Town, the nation’s tourist destination, is the most noted area affected because of the decrease in tourism and the clear divide in response between the rich and the poor. While the shortage will affect everyone in the city, the differences in approach are worth noting; the one million residents who live in the informal settlements only make up 4.5% of the water usage (USATODAY) and as water becomes increasingly scarce and restrictions tighten, these people make a tangible change to their consumption. While the notion of the suburban to high-income areas is “we’ll buy it.”

It’s important to note that the poorest group, the smallest group, who is using the least amount of water between Cape Town’s demographic groups, is also being blamed for worsening the shortage and wasting water, while 70% of water is used in formal homes- highlighting the divide. (USATODAY)

When the water runs out, the rich will not be able to “buy” more and blaming the poor will not bring it back. As South Africa prepares to run out of water, will they also prepare to come to grips with the influence inequality has had on their water supply?