Municipal Snapshot

The document identifies water as a critical constraint to development in the Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM), projecting that a growing water deficit will severely impact the local economy and jobs by 2040. It highlights that urban water requirements are expected to increase by approximately 99% by 2040 due to population and economic growth, while climate change is projected to increase agricultural water requirements by 44% between 2015 and 2040. The report warns that by 2040, the water deficit could cost the local economy R8.7 billion per year and 44,640 jobs annually, with the highest costs stemming from the urban water deficit.

• Water is a critical constraint to development in the Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM), and current allocations from the West Coast District Municipality are insufficient to meet future demand based on current abstraction rates.
• The SBM economy is characterized by water-intense industries, specifically steel manufacturing and fisheries, which increase water usage without providing a proportional increase in Gross Value Added (GVA).
• Water demand in SBM is projected to rise significantly by 2040, with urban requirements increasing by approximately 99% and agricultural requirements increasing by 44% due to climate change between 2015 and 2040.
• The projected water supply deficit for SBM is estimated at 8.4 million m3 per year by 2025, potentially rising to approximately 16.8 million m3 per year by 2040.
• The economic impact of the water deficit by 2040 is estimated to be R8.7 billion per year (114% of the current local economy size) and a loss of 44,640 jobs per year (113% of current local employment), primarily driven by urban water deficits.

APA

GreenCape (2018). Municipal Snapshot. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/SALDANHA-BAY-SNAPSHOT-6.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Municipal Snapshot. 2018. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/SALDANHA-BAY-SNAPSHOT-6.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Municipal Snapshot |date=June 2018 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/SALDANHA-BAY-SNAPSHOT-6.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2018municipal, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Municipal Snapshot}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/SALDANHA-BAY-SNAPSHOT-6.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }