Cape Town, South Africa

CAPE TOWN and the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa are in the foreground of below Landsat satellite image - with imposed elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The Cape’s city center is at Table Bay (lower left), adjacent to Table Mountain, a 1,086-meter (3,563) tall sandstone and granite landmark. Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate with limited water supplies. Until the 1890s, the city relied upon streams and springs along the base of Table Mountain. As water demand increased, a small reservoir was built atop Table Mountain for rainfall storage. Today - water needs are met in part by much larger reservoirs such as those seen above located far inland (mid-distance left) at the Theewaterskloof Dam.

Image by NASA

DUE TO limited surface water supplies, there are plans to exploit the Cape Flats Aquifer for private garden irrigation. This aquifer has the potential of meeting a large part of the city’s garden irrigation requirements . Even though the extent of pollution of the aquifer is uncertain - it has been deemed adequate for irrigation purposes - and will help sustain the region’s water needs. Use of aquifer water will allow the higher quality, but limited, surface water supplies to be managed more sustainably.

THE ECONOMY of South Africa is robust with modern infrastructure. It is often referred to as the “Rainbow Nation”, a term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu; later adopted by Nelson Mandela as a metaphor for the country’s multicultural diversity following segregationist apartheid ideology. However, regardless of whom is in power, creative and economocal management of water will always be a challenge. 

King Protea - South Africa's national flower - one of 9,000 floral species in the Fynbos Biome of the Western Cape.

FYNBOS, a floral kingdom unique to South Africa, is found near Cape Town. South Africa has more than 20,000 different plants, or about 10% of all known species on Earth, making it particularly rich in plant biodiversity. South Africa’s prevalent biome is grassland, especially on the Highveld, where grasses dominate. Another unique South African plant is the protea genus of flowers - with about 130 species found in South Africa. Due to exploitation of native temperate forests over the past century; development; poor planning, and alien species invasion - only 1% of South Africa is forest. Today, the Cape Floral Kingdom is identified as a global hotspot, since climate change; drought; development, and fires will result in rare species extinction.