CAPE of STORMS

The report examines the vulnerability of Cape Town's 307 km coastline to climate change, highlighting the risks of rising sea levels and intensified storms. It argues against relying solely on 'hard' engineering fixes, instead advocating for a 'no regrets' approach that prioritizes nature conservation and social-institutional fixes. Central to this strategy is the implementation of a 'setback line'—a demarcated buffer zone where development is restricted to protect ecosystems and reduce financial and infrastructural risk. The document emphasizes the need for a multi-criteria risk assessment and inclusive governance to address historical socio-economic inequalities in coastal access.

• Cape Town's coastline is highly vulnerable to climate change, with 25 square kilometers of land already at risk from rising tides and storm surges, and R5 billion worth of built environment located within the 2.5 metre contour.
• The city has identified 23 specific 'hot spots' particularly vulnerable to coastal storm surges, including areas such as Milnerton Beach, Saltriver, Green Point, Sea Point, Bakoven Cottages, Camps Bay, Kalk Bay, Strandfontein Road, and Strand.
• Traditional 'hard' engineering solutions, such as sea walls and rock armour, are criticized for being costly, irreversible, and potentially creating a false sense of security that encourages risky development.
• The City of Cape Town is adopting a 'no regrets' approach to coastal management, which includes prohibiting further land reclamation from the sea and planning for the relocation of infrastructure in high-risk areas rather than over-investing in their protection.
• A 'setback line' is proposed as a flexible, precautionary tool to create a protective buffer zone where development is either forbidden or strictly controlled, allowing for the restoration of ecosystems to defend against the sea.
• Coastal management in Cape Town is complicated by historical legacies of racial dispossession, where black, coloured, and Indian South Africans were excluded from owning property or using certain beaches, creating ongoing socio-economic inequalities.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2013). CAPE of STORMS. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fliccr-capeofstorms-2013.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. CAPE of STORMS. 2013. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fliccr-capeofstorms-2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=CAPE of STORMS |date=2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fliccr-capeofstorms-2013.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2013cape, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{CAPE of STORMS}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fliccr-capeofstorms-2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }