All of us know about the grave situation Cape Town got itself into in the year 2018. Although much of it was drought induced, there is more to it than just Mother nature’s fury. We humans have failed in planning our fresh water needs and Cape Town is definitely not just a one off scenario. While Cape Town puts in a brave front and is recuperating from the devastating water drought, there are many more cities that may follow suit in the coming years and may face an acute water crisis in the coming years. Lets look at the top 5 cities that may face a similar situation to that of Cape town very soon if the water problem is not dealt with urgency.

Sao Paulo

One of the most populous cities in the world, Sao Paulo is also one of the fastest developing cities in the world. But a terrifying truth about Sao Paolo is that not once but twice has this city in the recent past had come dangerously close to being run out of water. In 2015, the city at one point had just 4% water left in its main reservoir and again in 2017 the water table went low again. Not too far from day zero and hence the city needs to up its ante in planning for its water supply.

Bangalore

This fast-developing city in India, also known as the silicon city of the east is fast running out of fresh water. Bangalore’s plight is mostly due to the City’s mismanagement of its water sources. A city blessed with numerous lakes is now without a single lake with water. Almost all the lakes are extremely polluted and would need massive efforts to save them. If efforts are not initiated right away this fast-growing city will face the same fate as Cape town.

Jakarta

This Coastal city in Indonesia faces acute fresh water crisis. The city grew at a rapid pace that buildings were rapidly erected without access to piped water. As a result, most people started depending on ground water and in the process ended up using almost most of it. The condition developed to an extent that part of the city literally went below sea level. Efforts are being taken to manage ground water table now though its not progressing as expected mainly because the concrete laid as the city’s foundation is making water absorption difficult in spite of heavy rain in the region.

Beijing

Not just Beijing, but China as a whole is likely to suffer from water shortage. To put things in perspective, China is home to 20% of entire world’s population but has only access to 6-7% of fresh water sources. To add on to this, there is the problem of pollution which is rendering 30% of water resources non-usable. Beijing bears the brunt of the problem and is likely to be one of the top cities to run out of fresh drinking water soon

Cairo

Sitting on the banks of river Nile, one would not expect Egypt to face acute shortage of usable water anytime soon. However the ever increasing addition of pollutants into the river is affecting the usability of water thereby creating water shortage. Egypt is on road to a major water crisis by 2025.

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Janet Wilson

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