Municipal Snapshot

This fact sheet analyzes the water intensity and future water security of the Bergrivier Municipality (BM), warning that failure to augment water supply or implement conservation measures will severely constrain economic development and employment by 2040.

• The Bergrivier Municipality (BM) economy is highly reliant on water-intense sectors, particularly agriculture, which together account for more than 50% of the municipal Gross Value Add (GVA) and 50% of employment. This makes the local economy and population wellbeing highly vulnerable to water shocks.
• Water requirements in Bergrivier are projected to rise significantly by 2040 due to climate change and population growth. Agricultural water needs are expected to increase by 33%, with specific increases of 34% for grapes and 35% for citrus fruits. Municipal water requirements are projected to grow by 59% between 2015 and 2040.
• The total water supply deficit for the BM is estimated to reach 10.4 million m3 per annum by 2025 and increase to approximately 14.9 million m3 per annum by 2040.
• By 2040, the water deficit could cause severe economic damage to the local area, potentially costing the economy approximately R3.1 billion per annum (86% of the current local economy size) and resulting in the loss of 16,229 jobs per annum (74% of current local employment).

APA

GreenCape (2018). Municipal Snapshot. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/BERGRIVER-SNAPSHOT-12.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Municipal Snapshot. 2018. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/BERGRIVER-SNAPSHOT-12.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Municipal Snapshot |date=January 2018 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/BERGRIVER-SNAPSHOT-12.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2018municipal, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Municipal Snapshot}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2018}, month = jan, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/BERGRIVER-SNAPSHOT-12.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }