Municipal Snapshot 03/2018

The document warns that Stellenbosch Municipality faces a severe water deficit by 2040, driven by high urban growth and the water-intensive nature of its agricultural sector, particularly grape production. This deficit is projected to cost the local economy R10.3 billion per year and result in the loss of 56,602 jobs. Climate change is expected to further increase agricultural water requirements by 38% by 2040. The report recommends that the municipality decouple population growth from water consumption through conservation and demand measures to mitigate these risks.

• By 2040, the water deficit in Stellenbosch Municipality could result in an annual economic loss of R10.3 billion, representing 77% of the current economy, and a loss of 56,602 jobs per year, which is 87% of current employment.
• Urban water requirements in Stellenbosch Municipality are projected to grow by 96% by 2040, necessitating a decoupling of population growth and water consumption via demand measures and conservation.
• Climate change is projected to increase agricultural water requirements in the municipality by 38% between 2015 and 2040, with specific increases of 34% for grapes and 29% for stone fruit.
• The municipality's water supply deficit is estimated at 32.8 million m3 per year by 2025, accounting for 23% of the Berg WMA's total deficit, and is expected to rise to approximately 48.7 million m3 per year by 2040.
• Agriculture is a primary driver of water usage in the municipality, with grapes alone consuming 88% of all irrigated water.

APA

GreenCape (2018). Municipal Snapshot 03/2018. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/STELLENBOSCH-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Municipal Snapshot 03/2018. 2018. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/STELLENBOSCH-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Municipal Snapshot 03/2018 |date=March 2018 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/STELLENBOSCH-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2018municipal, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Municipal Snapshot 03/2018}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/STELLENBOSCH-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }