Desalination could be necessary to mitigate S Africa’s water woes

With freshwater resources in South Africa almost fully utilised and heavily stressed – especially in the Western Cape, where drought conditions have left dam levels at 25% – water scarcity conditions are set to increase in the country, especially in winter months, according to engineering consulting firm Gibb technical director Jacques Laubscher. Addressing delegates at a Gibb media roundtable discussion on desalination on Thursday, Laubscher noted that South Africa could expect a trend of little to no rainfall and that, by 2030, fresh water demand in South Africa would increase by 50%.