Water File

The document details water stress in cities including São Paulo, Mexico City, Karachi, Los Angeles, Nairobi, Brisbane, and Seville, highlighting the roles of poor planning, climate-driven drought, and infrastructure failure. It advocates for a transition to climate-resilient water budgets through demand reduction, diversified water sources, and improved governance to avoid 'Day Zero' scenarios.

• São Paulo experienced a major water crisis from 2014 to 2016, with the Cantareira reservoir falling below 5% and the city nearly running out of water within 20 days. The crisis was driven by a lack of long-term planning, limited incentives for water reduction, and deforestation in both local springs and the Amazon.
• Mexico City suffers from severe supply gaps and infrastructure issues, with 32% of residents lacking enough water for basic needs and 18% not receiving water daily. The city also faces subsidence from groundwater over-abstraction and high flooding risks in 45 neighbourhoods.
• Karachi faces a growing gap between water supply and demand, exacerbated by population growth and delayed infrastructure projects. The city's water supply is dominated by a "tanker mafia" that illegally sources water from the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, while 450 million litres of untreated industrial wastewater are discharged daily into the sea.
• Nairobi has a daily water deficit of 200 million litres, with some estimates suggesting demand exceeds supply by 600%. The Thika dam, providing 84% of the city's water, is at approximately half capacity due to drought and catchment degradation.
• Brisbane addressed the 'Millennium Drought' (1997-2009) through a combination of fixing leaking infrastructure, strict demand management, and diversifying water sources to include desalination, recycled water, and storm water harvesting. This resulted in a permanent reduction in water use from 330 litres per person per day to approximately 200 litres.
• Los Angeles heavily relied on imported water during its multi-year drought starting in 2011, importing 89% of its water from over 300km away. Even under restrictions, LA's lowest water use was over 132 litres per person per day, which is nearly triple Cape Town's 50-litre limit.
• Seville implemented severe restrictions during a 1992-1995 drought when reservoirs in the Guadalquivir river basin dropped to 9.5%. These included limiting water supply to 10 hours a day and banning garden watering to achieve 30% savings.

APA

WWF South Africa (n.d.). Water File. https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24364/wednesday-water-file-08

Chicago

WWF South Africa. Water File. n.d. https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24364/wednesday-water-file-08.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=Water File |url=https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24364/wednesday-water-file-08 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafricandwater, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{Water File}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24364/wednesday-water-file-08}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }