Drought Disaster Declared in Western Cape Province, SA

• CJ

Water levels in dams that supply Cape Town drop to 11% of capacity

Port City of Cape Town has already imposed a water restrictions after dam levels dropped to about a tenth (11%) of their capacity.

“The Karoo and West Coast municipalities were declared a disaster area in 2016, but the disaster area has now been extended to the entire province,” said a report.

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South Africa Facing its Hottest Year Ever

Second Heatwave of Year Hits South Africa

The heatwave is forecast to persist until Thursday with maximum temperatures hovering around 40°C in the northeast of the country.

The extreme weather conditions are forecast to persist in South Africa throughout the summer. The country is facing what may be its hottest year ever, said a report, as its largest city Johannesburg [metro pop: 4.5 million] announces water restrictions.

The country has already experienced two seasons of below-normal rainfall. Consequently, farmers are forced to plant only 2.5 million hectares of maize, a 3.8 percent reduction from last year, said a report.

Authorities have declared the provinces of Kwazulu Natal and Free State as disaster areas due to drought.  Two additional areas—Limpopo and Mpumalanga— are also expected to declare agricultural disaster, the report added.

“South Africa’s first maize production forecast estimates the 2015 harvest to be the worst in eight years,” according to a UN report released earlier this year. The farmers stand to lose up to R10 billion this year.

Last year, the drought destroyed about a third of the nation’s maize crop.

 

Drought Forces California into Mandatory Water Cutbacks

California adopts unprecedented mandatory water cuts

The Golden State regulators have adopted unprecedented mandatory water cutbacks by as much as 36 percent, as the region’s catastrophic drought enters its fourth year.

The emergency regulations were approved unanimously late Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board.

“This is a collective issue that we all need to rise to in this time of emergency,” said the chairwoman of the state board during a public hearing Tuesday in Sacramento. “This is a community crisis. The community is California.”

Communities across the state must reduce water use from 8 percent to 36 percent starting May 15 to comply with an order issued by Gov. Brown to reduce state water use by 25 percent amid dwindling water supplies, said a report.

“Individuals face $500 fines per violation. Water retailers that do not meet water conservation targets will be issued a cease and desist order and if they continue to miss the mark, could be fined $10,000 a day,” said the report quoting an environmental scientist with the state water board as saying.

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