Economic justice is one of the primary social fairness components comprising of a collection of moral principles that facilitate the establishment of economic institutions aimed at creating opportunities for all people to have access to material foundation. However, it is a different scenario in Cape Town since water supply levels have dropped, a trend that has led to concerns regarding government responsibility on the issue. Water is a basic need entitled to all people equally. However, Cape Town the basic need has been reported as scarce which has more impact to the poor because the rich tend to have alternatives of addressing the problem. For that reason, the present research aims at identifying the economic injustice and government failure in the provision of water in Cape Town. The study aims at exploring how the government has failed in taking adequate and equal measures in dealing with water scarcity problems for society that is both the rich and the poor. The research is also focused on determining the economic inequality in Cape Town as illustrated by water supply among people of distinct social classes.
The topic of the water crisis in Cape Town correlates with the theme of economic justice in the core reading since it demonstrates how poor and wealthy persons have different access to the basic commodity. The following research questions will be used to guide the study;
a. How is water supplied in Cape Town?
b. What are government measures in ensuring water is available to all people?
c. How are rich and poor persons affected by the water crisis?
List of Source Citations with Annotations
Braford, Andrew. “As Cape Town’s Water Runs out, the Rich Drill Wells. The Poor Worry about Eating.” Chicagotribune.Com, 24 Feb. 2018, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-south-africa-water-20180224-story.html.
The article is a post on the water scarcity problem in Cape Town because of drought and the failure of the administration to provide alternative sources of water. The outcome of the situation is people trying to find their private solutions where rich are hiring companies to dig wells and boreholes, buying bottled waters at inflated costs and ordering desalination machines. The post provides information on water crisis, instances of inequality and the failure of the government in addressing the situation.
Lancet, Planetary Health. “Water Crisis in Cape Town: A Failure in Governance.” The Lancet Planetary Health, vol. 2, no. 3, Mar. 2018, p. 95.
The article focuses on the government contribution to water shortages in Cape Town. According to the facts presented by Lancet Planetary Health, the decrease in water levels will in future leads to declaration of day zero. The article documents that water shortage is connected to the recurrent failures of the administration in instituting successful measures to meet the demands and needs of the city. The government is presented to have failed in handling the crisis leaving the public with no choice but find other possible solutions. The source will be used to provide information regarding major failures of the government in managing water problems in Cape Town.
Mahlanza, Londeka, et al. “Water, Rights and Poverty: An Environmental Justice Approach to Analysing Water Management Devices in Cape Town.” Urban Forum, vol. 27, no. 4, Dec. 2016, pp. 363–82.
The article is a qualitative study exploring the problems of fairness and justice in implementing the technologies for water management in low-income neighbourhoods. Based on the findings, the poor people are dissatisfied with the strategies used to allocate water because the water is limited hence denying them access to the basic commodity. Moreover, the publication suggests that the water resource management measures must be effective and changed so that to promote fairness in the city and local areas. The source will be utilized to obtain examples of inequalities relating to water supply in Cape Town.
W. Olivier, David. "Cape Town's Water Crisis: Driven By Politics More Than Drought". The Conversation, 2018, http://theconversation.com/cape-towns-water-crisis-driven-by-politics-more-than-drought-88191. Accessed 12 July 2018.
The article describes the water crisis situation in Cape Town, and confirms that it is driven and shaped by politics rather than drought. Cape Town has been documented to survive dry years. Water restrictions get it through and then dams refill during the rainy season. However, the trend and situation has changed with Cape Town recording history as having encountered a severe drought for three consecutive years. One the prevalent themes or debates is whether the local government is effectively handling the crisis. An exploration of this question reveals that politics rather than rainfall as the primary contributor of the crisis. The Western Cape serves as the only province in the Nation governed by the opposing party officials, while the ruling African National Congress runs the rest. The division has sparked complicated relationships between the national government and the Western Cape. The article will provide factual and detailed information on the two tiers of governance which will be used to show that the crisis is politics related.
Poplak, Richard. "What's Actually Behind Cape Town's Water Crisis". The Atlantic, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/02/cape-town-water-crisis/553076/. Accessed 12 July 2018.
The city of Cape Town today faces two catastrophic, extinction-level botherations. There have been no rains for a long period of time, three years. Second, Cape Town is classified as one of the most unequal cities in the world, comprising of wealthy population living in toney coastal and inland suburbs. The poor made up of blanks, live in the flatlands. The article by Richard will provide adequate information on the causes and reasons behind the water crisis in Cape Town.
Alexander, Christian. "Why Cape Town Is About To Run Out Of Water". Earther.Com, 2018, https://earther.com/why-cape-town-is-about-to-run-out-of-water-1822277625. Accessed 12 July 2018.
Cape Town, second largest city in South Africa is in a crisis mode. The city, home to about four million people, has subjected the residents to strict water restrictions for a long time. It is projected that the crisis will persist where the city government will label it ‘day zero.’ The article will be resourceful for the study since it provides information Cape Town’s predicament. A history of drought and the low dams will be available from the article.
Stoddard, Ed. "Cape Town 'Day Zero' Pushed Back To 2019 As Dams Fill Up In South...". U.S., 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-drought/cape-town-day-zero-pushed-back-to-2019-as-dams-fill-up-in-south-africa-idUSKCN1HA1LN. Accessed 12 July 2018.
Cape Town, a drought stroke city, has made claims citing the possible ‘Day Zero,’ when the taps in the city will run dry resulting in people queuing for water to 2019. Earlier on, it has been projected that ‘Day Zero’ would have been in August 2018. The changes have been as a result of increased dam levels in some parts of the country. The study will use the article to gain information regarding the future of Cape Town crisis.
Topic Exploration Statement
Inequality related issues and the government’s failure in addressing water scarcity issues, have been a contributing factor to the current water crisis in Cape Town. The two primary contributors have some political underpinnings given that the government has missed the crucial steps in managing, administering and maintaining water (Lancet). During the first two years after drought stroke South Africa, the administration in charge of water supply, did not invoke any restriction measures possibly due to underestimation of the situation, assuming it was temporal. Consequently, the six key sources of water in the country become prone to the aridity of the region. The water management devices employed as a strategy for the water demand management and conservation have affected the justice at the local level (Mahlanza). Particularly, the inequality is faced by the low-income households since the policies limited community participation and does not identify the vulnerabilities and diverse needs of the households (Mahlanza).
Poor people are denied access to water as a result failing to fulfill their needs due to the limited water allocation. Since the government has failed to deal with the issue, wealthy persons have opted to find their solution by drilling boreholes and well as buying desalination machines (Braford). Contrarily, poor people are forced to cut off their foods so that they can purchase bottled water at inflated prices. The inequality in Cape Town is racialized where the whites are occupying the town’s wealthiest parts while the poor on the informal houses where water consumptions are limited to 13 gallons per individual in one day (Braford), so this can be count as racialized problem.
Work Cited
Alexander, Christian. "Why Cape Town Is About To Run Out Of Water". Earther.Com, 2018, https://earther.com/why-cape-town-is-about-to-run-out-of-water-1822277625. Accessed 12 July 2018.
Braford, Andrew. “As Cape Town’s Water Runs out, the Rich Drill Wells. The Poor Worry about Eating.” Chicagotribune.Com, 24 Feb. 2018, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-south-africa-water-20180224-story.html.
Poplak, Richard. "What's Actually Behind Cape Town's Water Crisis". The Atlantic, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/02/cape-town-water-crisis/553076/. Accessed 12 July 2018.
Lancet, Planetary Health. “Water Crisis in Cape Town: A Failure in Governance.” The Lancet Planetary Health, vol. 2, no. 3, Mar. 2018, p. 95.
Mahlanza, Londeka, et al. “Water, Rights and Poverty: An Environmental Justice Approach to Analysing Water Management Devices in Cape Town.” Urban Forum, vol. 27, no. 4, Dec. 2016, pp. 363–82.
Stoddard, Ed. "Cape Town 'Day Zero' Pushed Back To 2019 As Dams Fill Up In South...". U.S., 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-drought/cape-town-day-zero-pushed-back-to-2019-as-dams-fill-up-in-south-africa-idUSKCN1HA1LN. Accessed 12 July 2018.
W. Olivier, David. "Cape Town's Water Crisis: Driven By Politics More Than Drought". The Conversation, 2018, http://theconversation.com/cape-towns-water-crisis-driven-by-politics-more-than-drought-88191. Accessed 12 July 2018.
