South Africa is the 30th most water-scarce country in the world. With more than 3 million households without access to clean running water, the shortage crisis is ever-growing and the need for proactive and effective solutions is now.
We live in an era where technological advances such as wireless charging, e-hailing and AI exist. Yet, South Africa and many other water-scarce countries still face the unrelenting water shortages crisis. Issues such as the watershed restoration, the infrastructural development of main water supply to households, and bovine effectiveness in alternative water-source consideration, still plague many developing and even developed countries.
“Consistent access to clean running water remains a challenge for many rural communities across South Africa. Having access to clean running water is the difference between compromised human health, environment protection and socio-economic development,” says Nozicelo Ngcobo, CCBSA Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director.
Wherein, technological advances continue to propel efficiency into the lives of all. Basic needs such as access to clean running water remain elusive, despite the resource being outlined as a basic human right.
Projects such as Coke Ville show the potential for South Africa to reclaim their agency in pushing for a solution to the water shortage crisis. Coke Ville is an off-grid, solar-powered groundwater harvesting, and treatment project targeted towards communities experiencing water insecurity.
To date, the project has generated more than 130 million litres of water to the benefit of more than 15 000 households in rural settlements across 9 sites in South Africa, with a projected 4 site development in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo.
“Having access to clean running water is [essential for] human health, environmental protection and socio-economic development. Our strategy focuses on sustainable, efficient water usage, improving local water challenges and partnering with others to improve watershed health and enhance community water resilience, with a focus on women and girls”, concludes Ngcobo.
The solve for the water shortage crisis is not through building more dam walls anymore. Instead, the solution lies in rehabilitating our current water supplies and effectively developing alternative means of water sourcing. South Africa’s current river flow is produced by 10% of land area. This only accounts for half of the country’s water supply. The rest comes from groundwater harvesting, rain supply and a fractional supply of desalinated water.
