Publication Date February 13, 2018 | Reuters

South Africa declares drought a national disaster

South Africa
Dried out branches are seem amongst caked mud at Theewaterskloof dam near Cape Town, South Africa, January 20, 2018. Photo: Mike Hutchings, Reuters
Dried out branches are seem amongst caked mud at Theewaterskloof dam near Cape Town, South Africa, January 20, 2018. Photo: Mike Hutchings, Reuters

South Africa has declared a national disaster over the drought afflicting southern and western regions including Cape Town, though the city pushed back its “Day Zero”, the date when its taps are expected to run dry.

Running water in the port city of 4 million has been affected by a wider pattern of climate change seen around the country including the Western Cape, where Cape Town is located, the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape provinces.

Supplies have yet to recover from an El Nino-triggered drought that began two years ago and is now raising the risk of a shortage that could hit industrial and agricultural output.

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs said after re-evaluating the magnitude and severity of the drought that it had reclassified it as a “national disaster”. The department had said last week it was close to making such a declaration.

However, Cape Town, whose picturesque oceanfront location is a major tourist draw, has pushed back to June 4 from May 11 its designated “Day Zero”, when residents will have to start queuing for water, with city officials citing a decline in water usage.

 

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