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Cape Town’s drought: don’t blame climate change

People, politics and poor planning are behind most urban water shortages, argues Mike Muller.
  1. Mike Muller

    1. Mike Muller is an engineer and visiting adjunct professor at the Wits School of Governance at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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The Theewaterskloof Dam, Cape Town at less than 20% of it's water capacity

The narrow body of water that remained at South Africa’s Theewaterskloof Dam in May 2017. Credit: Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty

Since May, winter rains have brought a reprieve to the citizens of Cape Town, South Africa. The city had endured severe drought for three years. Concerns that its water supply might run out in the summer have been set aside, hopefully, for another year. But the city remains vulnerable.

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Nature 559, 174-176 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05649-1

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