Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Volume 18 Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2018: Infrastructure in Article 6 the Context of Human Development

Policy Analysis of the Water Crisis in ,

Alycia Kokos American University Washington College of Law

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Recommended Citation Kokos, Alycia (2018) "Policy Analysis of the Water Crisis in Cape Town, South Africa," Sustainable Development Law & Policy: Vol. 18 : Iss. 2 , Article 6. Available at: https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/sdlp/vol18/iss2/6

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sustainable Development Law & Policy by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE WATER CRISIS IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Alycia Kakos*

ollowing a three-year , the , maintaining a reserve of water and looking to alternative sources South Africa faces an unprecedented municipal crisis. 1 or improvements far earlier. F Residents are being asked to curb their daily municipal In tum, DWS Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has accused water use to thirteen gallons from their already restricted daily government officials of dragging their feet on capital funding allowance of twenty-three gallons in order to avoid the impend­ for infrastructure and maintenance, as well as withholding ing "Day Zero" in which residential and commercial taps will emergency disaster relief funds, 13 and has thus blamed over­ be turned off for nearly four million residents.2 Though water consumption of water as an underlying issue.14 Under the consumption has decreased since January 2018, most residents National Water Act of 1998, South Africa's national government have not complied with the restriction.3 This creates a point of is considered the "trustee" of the country's water resources, and tension in the diverse city that contains both luxury homes and therefore it retains the power to "regulate the flow and use of all shanty towns.4 water in the country." Meanwhile, dai ly management of a city's While the crisis appears to stem from one of the worst water falls within the immediate responsibility of the munici­ in over a century that could be related to climate pality. 15 Section 27 of South Africa's Constitution addresses change,5 others blame the government's lack of oversight in health care, food , water, and social security and mandates that effectively foreseeing that such an event could occur and pro­ every citizen has the right to have access to sufficient food and actively implementing safeguards.6 By examining the roles that water. 16 The country's large division of wealth puts a strain on the National Government plays in the current Cape Town water th is right to water access by allowing those with a larger income crisis, options become apparent for the South African govern­ to install groundwater purification systems whi le those with ment going forward. small er incomes must obtain water through public collection Section 24 of the Republic of South Africa's 1996 points that may be overcrowded or long distances away. 17 The Constitution sets forth the right of its citizens to a livable national government has a responsibility to provide funding to environment and requires that the government take legislative ensure that citizens have access to sufficient water through the or other government actions to allow public access to natural use of appropriate infrastructure and maintenance, regardless of resources, such as water, and promote conservation of such economic status.18 resources through an ecologically sustainable development.7 To To ensure that the appropriate government entities take thi s end, the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA "reasonable legislative and other measures" to avoid infringing or "Act") was enacted to meet these public needs and provide citizens' rights to sufficient water access, the term "sufficient" "co-operative, environmental governance" through the estab- should be more specific and quantitatively define at what time or 1i shment of institutes to promote the principles of the Act. 8 The resource level the national government should be held account­ National Water Act of 1998 also empowers the national govern­ able, and thus compell ed to take action. 19 The Minister pos­ ment to maintain and provide public access to the country's sesses the authority under the § 4(26) of the country's National water resources.9 Water Act to promulgate regulations that limit water use, require South Africa's Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) water use be monitored, measured, and recorded by appropriate has been criticized for misallocating water, including their failure entities, and oversee water infrastructure systems from construc­ to curtail the allocation of water for agricultural use, especially tion to operation and maintenance.20 Therefore, it is imperative when the prospects of the drought became more apparent. 10 As that the Minister exercise his or her authority by mandating and set forth in their Water Management Policy regarding ground­ enforcing such regu lations to avoid infringing citizens' rights. water, the Department states that their protection of the coun­ However, it is fair to assert that under the current language try's groundwater will be based on a "precautionary approach," of the Constitution that the sustainabi 1ity of water resources are meaning that all groundwater will be "assumed to be vulnerable expected to be prioritized in governmental actions, especially to damage un less it can be shown otherwise." 11 To accomplish as lower than expected rainfall and become com­ this, the DWS will take "source-directed, resource-directed, and mon occurrences in parts of the country.21 To accomplish this, remedial management measures," such as the determination of a government officials should direct DWS to frequently review "reserve" consistent of water used for basic human needs such as the country's preparedness for water scarcity events and create drinking, food preparation, and personal hygiene. 12 Therefore, it can be argued that it was the Department's responsibility to act with "precaution" and avoid a low water level by actively *J .D. Candidate, American Uni versity Washington Coll ege of Law 201 9

28 Sustainable Development Law & Policy a stricter framework for sustainable groundwater management appliances, taking shorter showers, or flushing to il ets less in an effort to increase dam capacity and extend, upgrade, and often.26 Alternatively, the national government can implement maintain current water infrastructure in South Africa.22 Funding strategies to generate new water supplies, such as the restoration for such projects can be provided through municipal grants or of watersheds, artificial enhancement of groundwater replenish­ other emergency funding.23 ment systems, and the implementation of wastewater treatment Any increased investments in infrastructure need to be and reuse programs.27 complemented by a change in water usage by c iti zens. 24 To While Cape Town attempts to prevent th is crisis, other reduce demand for water, there must be an improvement in countries can learn from their mi stakes by actively updating water efficiency and water-using behaviors. 25 This can be done and maintaining government-run water infrastructure systems in by installing efficient irrigation technology, replacing inefficient response to potential impacts of climate change. (!;

ENDNOTES

Wi lliam Saunderson-Meyer, Commentmy : In drought-hit South Africa, the JO Saunderson-Meyer, supra note I. politics of waler, REUTERS (Feb. 5, 20 18, I I :09 AM), https://www.reuters.com/ 11 Policy and S1rategy for Groundwater Quality Management in South Africa, article/us-saundersonmeyer-drought-commentary/commentary-in-drought­ DEP'T OF WATER AFFAIRS & FORESTRY ix (2000), https://www.westerncape.gov. hi t-south-africa-the-politics-of-water-idUSKBN I FP226; Norimitsu Onishi & za/text/2003/groundwaterpo l. pdf. Somini Sengupta, Dangerously Low on Watet; Cape Town Now Faces 'Day 12 i d. Zero ', N.Y. TIMES (Jan. 30, 20 18), https://www.nytimes.com/20 18/0 l/30/world/ l3 Saunderson-Meyer, supra note I. africa/cape-town-day-zero. htm I. 14 Ri chard Poplak, Whal s Actually Behind Cape Towns Water Crisis, 2 Onishi & Sengupta, supra note I; see also Helen Z ille, From the Inside: TH E ATLA NTIC (Feb. 15, 20 18), https://www.theatlantic.com/ international/ The Co untdown lo Day Zero , DAILY MAVERICK (Jan. 22, 20 18), https://www. archi ve/20 I 8/02/cape-town-water-cri sis/553076/. da i lymaverick.co.za/opinioni sta/20 18-0 I -22-from-the-inside-the-countdown-to­ 15 NATIONAL WATER ACT (No. 36 OF 1998) § 4(26); see also Amil Umraw, day-zero/#. Wn R wM66n Hcv (stating that " Day Zero" is currently projected for Cape Town Water Crisis: DA Will be Judged Harshly Say Analysts, H UFF INGTON July 19, 20 18 and the current plan is that "one week before the six dams provid­ PosT (Feb. 19, 20 18), http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/20 18/011 19/watercrisis­ ing water to the System (WCWSS) are collecti vely drought-or-nationa I- government- fa i Iur e _a_ 23 3 3 7782/?utm_ hp_ ref=za-news. projected to drop to 13.5 percent, the City w ill ann ounce the date on whi ch l6 S. AFR. CONST., 1996. § 27( I )(B). almost a ll the taps in Cape Town 's residential suburbs wi ll be cut off."); Lauren 17 Onishi & Sengupta, supra note I. Said-Moorhouse & G ianluca Mezzofi ore, Cape Town cuts limit on water use by 18 See S. Arn. CONST., 1996. § 27( I )(B) (statin g that " the state must take nearly halfas 'Day Zero' looms, CNN, https://www.cnn .com/2018/02/0 l/africa/ reasonabl e legislati ve and other measures, w ithin its avail able resources, to cape-town-water-crisis-inti/index.html (last updated Feb. I, 20 18) (noting that achieve the progressive reasli sation of each of[the ri ghts li sted under secti on the threat of fines and insta ll ation of water management meters attempt lo keep 27)"); Saunderson-Meyer, supra note I. residents compliant w ith the cut backs). 19 See S. AFR . CONST., 1996. § 27( 1)(B). 3 Ri chard Perez-Pena, Cape Town Pushes Back 'Day Zero' as Resident Con­ 20 NATIONAL WATER A CT (No. 36 OF 1998) §4(26)(a)-(b), (d). serve Water, N.Y. T1MES (Feb. 20, 20 18), https://www.nytimes.com/20 18/02/20/ 21 See Tamaryn Africa, #Budget2018: R6 billion allocated for drought relief, world/africa/cape-town-water-day-zero.html. Bus. REPORT (Feb. 2 1, 20 184: 15 PM), https://www. io l.co.za/business-report/ 4 Id.; see also Said-Moorhouse & Mezzofiore, supra note 2 (stating that budget/budget20 I 8-r6-billi on-a ll ocated-for-drought-re li ef- I 3404218; see also the city is now working to upgrade its water systems by building , Onishi & Sengupta, supra note 1 (stating that fo r several years Cape Town had aquifer, and water-recycling projects, to help lengthen what water remains). been warned by the Department of Water Affairs about the necessity of diversi­ 5 Onishi & Sengupta, supra note I. fy ing its water supply because its re li ance on six rainfall dependent dams was Zille, supra note 2. hazardous wi th current climate change trends). See S. AFR. CONST. 1996. § 24; see also Warren Beech & N icholas Ve lt­ 22 Africa, supra note 2 1. man. Environmental law and practice in South Africa: an overview, WESTLAW 23 Id. (stating that "9 1.6 billion [rands] would be spent on extending, upgrad­ PRACTICAL LAW, 11llps://uk.practicall aw. th omsonreuters.com/4-502-7865?tran ing and maintain[ing] water infrastructure [in the 20 18-20 19 fiscal year]. Over sitionType = Defau It&contextData =( sc. De [au It )&fi rstPage=true&bhcp= I (last the same period 34 bi ll ion [rands] would be invested in water services, largely updated Feb. I, 20 17). thro ugh municipal grants"). 8 See NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT I 07 OF 1998 (S . Afr.); 24 Id. see also Beech & Veltman, supra note 7; NATIONAL WATER ACT ( o. 36 OF 25 Peter Gleick, Commenta1y: Cape Town is Running Out of Wa/ei: Could 1998) § I (S. Afr.) (stating that three key regulating authorities, Department of More Cities Be Next?, foRTUNE (Feb. 20, 20 18), http://fortune.com/2018/02/07/ Enviro nmental Affairs (DEA), Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), and water-shortage-cape-town-south-africa/ (noting that saltwater desalination can Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) were created under this Act). also provide a short-terms solution). 9 NATIONAL WATER ACT (No. 36 OF 1998) § I (S. A fr.) (indicatin g that it is 26 Id. under the authority of the nati onal government to "fulfil obli gatio ns set o ut in 27 id. the Act relating to the use, a ll ocati on and producti on of, and access to, water resources").

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