Cape Town could become the world’s first major city to run out of water – what’s been termed Day Zero. The city has done a great deal of work to manage water use, even winning multiple awards, although equity concerns have frequently been raised in relation to these efforts. In light of the ongoing drought, the city is now trying to encourage even stricter targets of 50 litres of water per person per day – a difficult goal that continues to raise issues of equity and justice. What key insights could help inform the city’s strategies? Research from psychology and behavioural economics could prove useful to refine efforts and help to achieve further water savings.

EDGES member Leila Harris, Jiaying Zhao and Martine Visser’s recent op-ed in The Conversation discusses key tactics and a positive strategy for water savings in the city of Cape Town. Full text available HERE.