As the world’s water supply becomes more threatened, the wealthiest people are exacerbating the crisis through non-essential uses while the poor are the first to lose access to water.
A study of water use in Cape Town, South Africa found that “ the richest people used 50 times more water than the poorest,” driving the city’s water crisis, which reached an extreme in 2018 with the Day Zero crisis. In Cape Town, the study’s authors concluded that 14 percent of the city’s population used 51 percent of water, writes Damian Carrington in The Guardian.
The researchers say other major world cities face a similar challenge. “In March, a report by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water concluded that the world faces an imminent water crisis, with demand expected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030.”
The report predicts that the gap in access to water between the rich and the poor will continue to widen as water scarcity deepens. “The scientists said failing to account for social inequality in a water crisis often led to technocratic solutions that simply reproduced the uneven and unsustainable water use patterns that contributed to the water crisis in the first place.”
FULL STORY: Swimming pools of the rich driving city water crises, study says
Can Southwest Utah’s Water Supply Handle its Explosive Growth?
A remote corner of the state is the nation’s fastest-growing metro area, but concerns about water supplies across the Southwest signal an uncertain future.
California’s Reservoirs are Filling Up, but For How Long?
Recent storms are bringing plenty of water to parched parts of California, but scientists warn the relief won’t be a long-term solution to longer, drier periods.
Colorado River Water Crisis Deepens
The states that rely on the Colorado’s water must make drastic cuts in water usage to maintain use of the West’s most important—and most threatened—water source.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service