Think global and act local to avoid a Day Zero

South Africa dodged a water disaster in 2018, providing lessons for cities facing similar crises. But copying everything from Cape Town would be a mistake.

In terms of navigating, not solving, a water crisis, South Africa’s 2018 Day Zero is often viewed as a gold standard. Although many missteps brought Cape Town to the brink of a disaster, its residents became water-wise, technical fixes were put in place and Day Zero never came to pass.

But as more cities find themselves experiencing water crises, any approach that tries to simply copy Cape Town will find themselves adrift.