Setting the Agenda for Tackling Urban Water Insecurity in South Africa

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Millions of people worldwide are facing an uncertain future regarding accessing clean water. This project tackles this critical issue head-on, focusing on developing solutions for water scarcity in large African cities like Johannesburg.

The project brings together experts from Cranfield University and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to collaborate with other stakeholders. This combined effort aims to tackle the root causes of the water crisis in Johannesburg. Despite having policies in place to ensure access to clean water, Johannesburg still faces water scarcity. This situation is not unique, with projections showing that one in three urban residents globally will experience water insecurity by 2050. Residents in Johannesburg have already felt the impact, with water disruptions leading to protests demanding solutions.

This project seeks to change that. By combining the expertise of various institutions, the project will understand the root causes of the water crisis in Johannesburg and develop a sustainable and collaborative solution. Johannesburg will serve as a case study, allowing the researchers to identify challenges and solutions that can be applied to other cities facing similar struggles.

The project will address water scarcity in large Sub-Saharan cities, using Johannesburg as a case study. This includes:

  1. Residents experiencing water disruptions despite policies promoting access to clean water.
  2. Lack of understanding of the root causes of the water crisis in Johannesburg.
  3. The absence of a coordinated approach to resolving the water crisis.

The project implementors wrote a piece titled Uniting for water security in Johannesburg on the need to work together collaboratively to resolve the water crisis. They also co-hosted a webinar themed How to Organise Collective Action in a Fragmented Society: Averting a Water Crisis in Johannesburg.

A concise summary of the event was published in Engineering News titled UK, South African Universities Partner to Establish Water Security Forum