Africa’s Dehydration Crisis

Africa’s Dehydration Crisis

     Water is a commodity we take for granted in the United States. With the simple turn of a handle, we are given easy access to water, a resource which all humans require to survive. However, this is not the case in Cape Town, South Africa. Years of inadequate rainfall have led to a severe shortage of water, affecting the lives of everyone living there.

     In South Africa, the country’s water supply has drastically gone down. Higher temperatures and changing weather conditions have created a drought that is devastating the city of Cape Town. Citizens dread the steadily approaching “Day Zero,” or the day where the water supply will ultimately run out. So how exactly are the people of South Africa being impacted by the drought? People living in poverty are drastically affected by the drought, as well as the farmers who provide food for the people of South Africa. Climate change is having a substantial effect on the people living in South Africa, influencing their daily lives. Even though Africa accounts for a small portion of the causes of global warming, they are disproportionately affected by the impacts (“Extreme drought”). The people living in South Africa are suffering, and action must be taken to fix the situation as well as to prevent future tribulations.

     Both the rich and the poor feel the effects of the drought; however, specific groups are at more risk than others. While the rich can survive by paying more for imported water or drilling private wells, the impoverished are in a much more dire situation (Sieff). They must ration their water and conserve the small daily amount the government gives them. The economic disparity between different classes results in inequalities in the ways people can respond to dangerous situations such as droughts.

     Agriculture is also being profoundly affected, which creates a shortage of crops and could lead to hunger. Farmers struggle to get enough water to sustain their plants or feed their animals properly. Some farmers have had to abandon their harvests or put down their livestock as a result (Granitz). If this drought continues, the poor crop yields will severely damage the economy and cripple the food supply of Cape Town and South Africa.

     Even though the people of South Africa are in a dire situation, there is still hope. Water consumption has gone down 50 percent as a result of country-wide conservation efforts, and rains are predicted to arrive in time to prevent “Day Zero” if the citizens continue to carefully reduce water usage (“Cape Town Drought”). South Africa only needs to hold on a little longer to make it through the drought, but everyone must pitch in to help.

Works Cited

"South Africa economy: Cape Town's water crisis worsens." Economist Intelligence Unit: Country ViewsWire, 6 Feb. 2018. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526497324/GIC?u=los42754&xid=7e4418b9. Accessed 7 Mar. 2018.

Sieff, Kevin. "As Cape Town's water runs out, the rich drill wells. The poor worry about eating." Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2018. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528657601/GIC?u=los42754&xid=653d3d18. Accessed 8 Mar. 2018.

"Extreme drought grips parts of South Africa." Al Jazeera America, 18 Jan. 2018. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A523579319/GIC?u=los42754&xid=bca96d83. Accessed 7 Mar. 2018.

“Cape Town Drought: South African City May Avoid 'Day Zero'.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Mar. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43321093.

Latham, Brian. “South African Drought Slams Everything From Grapes to Lambs.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 20 Dec. 2017, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-20/wine-grapes-to-lambs-squeezed-as-south-africa-drought-drags-on.

Granitz, Peter. “South African Farmers Lose Crops And Workers Amid Crippling Drought.” NPR, NPR, 4 Feb. 2018, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/02/04/582482799/south-african-farmers-lose-crops-and-workers-amid-crippling-drought.