The sun in Cape Town is shining bright as usual, and the atmosphere among conference delegates is remarkably upbeat as the mining market is turning. However, the 24th annual Mining Indaba takes place at a time when the Western Cape area is facing a severe water crisis as a result of the worst drought on record.
The city's 4 million residents have been limited to using 50 liters daily as authorities continue to urge a change in consumption patterns to avoid what has been dubbed Day Zero.
Day Zero, the day when dam levels reach 13.5% and most taps will be turned off, is presently thought to be reached on April 16. As of then, residents would have to collect a daily allocation of 25 liters from one of 200 allocated points that will be military- and police-controlled. Cape Town would be the first city in the world to run out of water.
As of Feb. 2, the six main dams that supply South Africa's biggest tourist destination were on average 25.8% full, down from about 38% a year ago and 85% in 2014.
A prolonged three-year drought alongside a boom in Cape Town's population are considered key reasons for the crisis. Many locals cannot even recall the last time it rained.
"There has been the occasional drizzle, but even that is very rare," one resident told S&P Global Market Intelligence. "You look to Table Mountain in the morning, hoping that there will be some clouds, but even when it looks a bit dull early in the morning, the sky is all clear again a few minutes later."
Hotels and restaurants have begun adjusting their work processes, often in the background, as they try to keep businesses open as usual. Some use paper dishes, and others have switched off the dishwashers to save water. Reminders at receptions and bathrooms urge visitors to restrict water wastage to the minimum.
Organizers of Mining Indaba have pledged to align with the situation and flagged that reducing water will be a priority at the four-day event.
"We have been closely following the development of the water crisis and have engaged with local government structures extensively on the issue," the Indaba's Managing Director Alex Grose flagged ahead of the event. "After much consideration, it was agreed to keep the event in Cape Town as it attracts significant investment to the local economy — conservatively estimated at around 700 million South African rand over the past ten years."
Among other measures, organizers will limit tea and coffee servings, distribute educational leaflets, and will be sponsored by a private supplier that sources water from a natural spring outside of Cape Town. Mining Indaba has also partnered with Gift of the Givers, an Africa-focused nongovernmental organization with a mandate to distribute water to people most in need.
"For the event, water conservation and reduction methods have taken a priority. Reducing consumption is vital, but we also want to offset our water consumption during our stay in the city, and to give our delegates the opportunity to do the same," Grose added.
Many delegates came prepared. One even brought an entire suitcase with bottled water.
