Water shortage: South Africa looks for alternatives

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management

ISSN: 1756-8692

Article publication date: 3 August 2010

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Citation

(2010), "Water shortage: South Africa looks for alternatives", International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 2 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijccsm.2010.41402cab.002

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Water shortage: South Africa looks for alternatives

Article Type: News From: International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Volume 2, Issue 3

South Africa is a water-scarce country with an average rainfall of 450 mm – compared to a world average of 860 mm – and conditions are expected to worsen as a result of global climate warming. According to the country’s environment ministry, South Africa has a boundary consisting of approximately 3,000 km of sea water, and this water is presently unusable because of its high salt content. The government has therefore made a decision to press ahead with unconventional water treatment, in this case desalination, largely because of the unavailability of river water due to drought. Popular tourist coastal towns Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George and Mossel Bay are facing severe water shortages due to prolonged drought in the southern Cape region. These towns have turned to purifying seawater, as well as treating so-called grey water – waste water generated from domestic activities like laundry and bathing – to help meet their drinking needs.

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