‘A World Without’: Global Freshwater Shortage and Cape Town’s “Day Zero”

By Galilee Abdullah
SOUTH AFRICA CAPE TOWN DROUGHT
Cape Town's main water supply from the Theewaterskloof dam outside Grabouw, Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. A harsh drought may force South Africa's showcase city of Cape Town to turn off most of its taps, as the day that the city runs out of water, ominously known as "Day Zero", moves ever closer for the nearly 4 million residents. AP Photo
SOUTH AFRICA CAPE TOWN DROUGHT
Cape Town's main water supply from the Theewaterskloof dam outside Grabouw, Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. A harsh drought may force South Africa's showcase city of Cape Town to turn off most of its taps, as the day that the city runs out of water, ominously known as "Day Zero", moves ever closer for the nearly 4 million residents. AP Photo

‘A World Without’: Global Freshwater Shortage and Cape Town’s “Day Zero”

By Galilee Abdullah
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According to a May 2018 article by The Guardian, water shortages are the “key environmental challenge of the century”. There are 19 hotspots around the world where water depletion has been the most severe. One of the most drastic cases is in Cape Town. For months starting this year, Cape Town was counting down to “Day Zero” of the city’s water shortage. However, that date has kept moving, and most recently has been moved to 2019. Today we talk with Dr. Aaron Packman. He is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University.