Cape Town water crisis

At UCT our researchers have been analysing the causes of the current drought, monitoring water usage on campus and in the city, and looking for ways to save water while there is still time. As part of UCT’s water-saving campaign, all members of the campus community are encouraged to reduce their water use by half, which will help Cape Town to meet its water-use goals and ensure a water-sustainable university in the future.

Climate change expert bags Social Responsiveness Award For her research on the Mother City’s once-in-a-century drought, UCT has presented Associate Professor Gina Ziervogel with the 2020 Social Responsiveness Award. 15 Oct 2021 - 8 min read

Climate change expert bags Social Responsiveness Award

For her research on the Mother City’s once-in-a-century drought, UCT has presented Associate Professor Gina Ziervogel with the 2020 Social Responsiveness Award. 15 Oct 2021 - 8 min read

Water in the Anthropocene in South Africa

As South Africa’s Water Week continues, Dr Kevin Winter from UCT’s Future Water institute considers South Africa’s current and future water situation. 20 Mar 2020 - 7 min read

Water (in)security: the art of resilience

Research in UCT’s Global Risk Governance Programme has taken a look at the effects of people opting for off-grid solutions in response to recent periods of drought. 18 Mar 2020 - 8 min read

Use what you have before you take from others At the start of South Africa’s National Water Week, Professor Neil Armitage looks at the City of Cape Town’s current and future sources of water. 16 Mar 2020

Peninsula Paddle: 10 years on The upcoming Peninsula Paddle, in partnership with UCT’s Future Water Institute, will continue to challenge the City of Cape Town about the state of the city’s waterways. 12 Aug 2019

Managing the Berg River Dam overflow Dr Kevin Winter, from UCT’s Future Water Institute, argues that the health of the Berg River Dam and river system requires a comprehensive monitoring plan. 30 Jul 2019

Lessons from a record-breaking drought Multiple perspectives are key to building resilience according to Gina Ziervogel’s latest research into Cape Town’s water crisis. 24 Jul 2019

Cape Town’s Water Strategy: what to watch Dr Kevin Winter, from UCT’s Future Water Institute, draws attention to the new Cape Town Water Strategy and how its progress can be monitored. 22 Jul 2019

Key lessons from Cape Town drought Cities must build their capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change, and the Cape Town drought experience has many good lessons to offer. 03 Apr 2019 Republished

‘Progressive’ new water strategy for Cape Town Ordinary Capetonians, already well acquainted with the narrative of “Day Zero”, appear to be key to the City of Cape Town’s “progressive” new water strategy. 18 Feb 2019

Cape Town’s drought under the microscope PhD candidate Precious Mahlalela dedicated her masterʼs thesis to understanding the cause of the Mother City’s recent drought and received recognition in a top international journal. 29 Jan 2019

Global warming: Severe drought risks to City Climate models vary but all show that the risk of drought in Cape Town has increased substantially because of global warming. 20 Dec 2018 Republished

Harvesting storm water from the Liesbeek River Three Biological Sciences students have made their mark with their first-ever publication on the role of the Liesbeek River in the management of Cape Town’s water crisis. 26 Nov 2018

Future-proofing SA’s water supply Along with closing the gap between supply and demand, South Africa must urgently implement a water security plan in order to protect its future supply. 09 Nov 2018 Republished

Working towards a water-sensitive Cape Town When it “forgot to rain” in Cape Town, the city went on water-saving alert. Now it’s time for a holistic approach to future water management. 22 Oct 2018

Water: the most precious resource of all The days of taking water for granted are over, with individuals and industry equally responsible for protecting this most precious of all resources. 17 Sep 2018

Water outlook: what next for Cape Town? World Water Week 2018 is an appropriate time to reflect on the current and future use of precious water resources, says UCT water expert Dr Kevin Winter. 27 Aug 2018

Moving towards a water-sensitive campus With water-saving interventions still top priority in the Western Cape, the Green Campus Initiative and Future Water have hosted a forum examining UCTʼs policies and progress. 23 Aug 2018

Working with nature to tackle drought When facing drought, city planners often reduce the number of public spaces that need water, but there are good reasons for keeping nature in our cities. 03 Aug 2018 Republished

View archive