South Africa could see a water deficit of between 2% and 13% by 2025, according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
(Also read our article: Why South Africa could be edging towards a water crisis)
CapeTalk’s Kieno Kammies spoke with Dr. James Dabrowski, principal researcher specialising in water quality at the CSIR.
According to Dabrowski, over 98% of South Africa’s available water resources already allocated across various sectors.
He says that the country could be threatened by a water deficit depending on its economic performance.
From a water quantity perspective, the whole country is constrained. We need to look at the availability of the resource as a whole going forward.
— Dr. James Dabrowski , CSIR Dr. James Dabrowski , principal researcher
The researcher warns that although the issue currently affects water quality rather than quantity, continued population and economic growth, combined with climate change, could result in serious water shortages in some parts of the country by 2025.
Listen to the full conversation from CapeTalk's Breakfast with Kieno Kammies:
