KwaZulu-Natal province is no stranger to drought. And that means regions and cities across South Africa could soon be facing their own Day Zero-for some it has already arrived. As of January 2020, some rain has fallen and some reservoirs are filling again, but the forecast is for more dry weather. In October 2019, dams were at 10 to 60 percent below 2018’s levels. South Africa relies on its rainwater, levels of which are unpredictable, unevenly distributed, and decreasing as a result of global warming. As such, Cape Town’s situation is a warning for the whole country. In 2018, Cape Town’s ‘Day Zero’ became the focus for South Africa’s water crisis, but while its circumstances were certainly unique, the causes of its water problems were not-high demand and inadequate supply. This spontaneous celebration seems symbolic of South Africa’s precarious but hopeful relationship with water: the country is desperately dry, making any precipitation extremely precious, but there are a few long-term solutions to help ease this ongoing water problem. As pellets of rain pounded the dry earth of Eastern Cape this January, a man launched himself into a puddle of water created by a broken drain.
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