The FSE will appear on Al Jazeera English’s award-winning show, The Stream Wednesday, December 20th from 9:30p – 10:00p SAST
Here is the basic framework of the program:
It’s projected that that South Africa’s second largest city will be without water by May 2018. Cape Town is home to more than 4 million residents, and millions of tourists, consumption of water has reached dangerous levels for a city that is in its third successful year of a drought and poor rainfall. There have been several requests by the local government for people of the city not exceed more than 87 liters per day usage, that they have say have not been adhered to. Water has already been shut down for several hours a day in areas outside the city center.
So how did Cape Town get to this point? Some climatologists have pointed to climate change as a possible factor for such little rain. Others says it’s due to the large increase in the number of residents to the city – there has been a 50% increase in the last decade. Another theory – poor cooperation and coordination between the African National Congress controlled national government and the local and provincial government of the Western Cape run by the Democratic Alliance. Western Cape government officials say appeals to declare the province a disaster zone went unheeded by the ANC for months. But a recent damning report by the South African Water Caucus found financial mismanagement and corruption in the local Department of Water and Sanitation and that the city responded to warning signals too late.
Guests
Trevor Balzer @Trevor_Balzer
Deputy Director General: Strategic and Emergency projects, Department of Water Sanitation
Mariette Liefferink @mariettelieffer
CEO, Federation for a sustainable environment
Zara Nicholson @ZaraNicholson2
Manager, Mayoral Media (spokesperson for Cape Town mayor)
Samson Mokoena @VejaEnvironment
Coordinator, Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance
Please find the link below.
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201712200117-0025566
