South Africa Opts for Natured-Based Solutions to Water Problems

Africa is projected to face physical water scarcity by 2025, with a 17% water deficit anticipated by 2030 as climate change intensifies existing challenges.

South Africa is among the driest countries in the world, receiving only 464 millimetres of rain annually, less than half the global average. Yet, despite receiving little rainfall, much of this water is wasted due to limited awareness and poor water management.

The country’s average daily water consumption per person is also higher than the global average—234 litres compared with 173 litres worldwide.

Water infrastructure under strain

In addition to water scarcity, South Africa struggles with insufficient water infrastructure. Over half (56%) of the country’s treatment plants are in poor or critical condition. As a result, billions of litres of inadequately treated or untreated wastewater flow into rivers and oceans every year. Meanwhile, groundwater remains underutilised, despite its potential as a more stable source.

Rapid urbanisation and industrial growth place additional pressure on South Africa’s fragile water systems, many of which depend heavily on surface water stored in dams. These reservoirs, however, rely on rainfall for replenishment. Compounding the problem are invasive plant species such as pine, wattle, and eucalyptus, which consume about 4% of the country’s available water annually, enough to supply 15 million people.

Avoiding “Day Zero”: Cape Town’s wake-up call

Between 2015 and 2018, Cape Town came dangerously close to “Day Zero”, the point at which the city’s taps would run dry. During this one-in-400-year drought, affecting 4.6 million residents, the town implemented sustained public communication and engineering solutions that helped it narrowly avoid catastrophe.

Residents were given strict daily water-use targets, encouraged to take shorter showers, flush sparingly, and avoid using drinking water for gardening.

Cape Town also invested in pressure management technology, which now covers 68% of its network. This system has reduced leaks and bursts, saving up to 70 million litres of water per day during the 2018 drought.

Nature-based solutions: Restoring watersheds and removing invasive species

To strengthen resilience, South Africa has turned to nature-based solutions (NbS). The World Resources Institute (WRI) highlights two key strategies: restoring watersheds and removing water-thirsty invasive plants.

Cape Town’s Water Fund, led in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and local partners, pools funds from government and businesses to pay upstream communities to restore the lands that supply the city’s water.

So far, 63,000 hectares of invasive plants have been cleared and replaced with native species such as the King Protea and Sugarbush, freeing up over 17 billion litres of water annually. The initiative also creates jobs for local youth, women, and small-scale farmers, contributing to both ecosystem restoration and livelihood improvement.

eThekwini’s flood challenge and the transformative riverine management programme

While Cape Town faces water shortages, eThekwini Municipality (which includes Durban) struggles with the opposite problem, excess water and flooding. In 2022, the region experienced one of the deadliest flood events in South African history, resulting in over 400 fatalities and $1.5 billion in damages.

Informal settlements built along riverbanks and floodplains worsened the disaster. To address this, the city launched the Transformative Riverine Management Programme (TRMP) in 2020 — a holistic initiative that works with local communities to remove invasive plants and waste, maintain stormwater infrastructure, and create wetlands and retention ponds that slow floodwaters.

The programme also includes a community-based early warning system to alert residents before extreme rainfall events.

Building a water-resilient future

The experiences of Cape Town and eThekwini demonstrate how ecosystem restoration and community-driven action can provide long-term resilience to both drought and floods.

By integrating nature-based infrastructure, restoring native vegetation, and promoting sustainable water use, South Africa is setting an example for other regions facing climate-driven water crises.