Current Solutions

One previous solution was to make desalination plants along the South African coastline. However, these plants usually cost lots of money to build and produce water. An additional solution is to use solar and wind energy to power South African water pumps. This would greatly reduce the cost of energy by using renewable energy sources.

Overpopulation

Some of the sewers in South Africa were only meant to work for 400,000 people. However, they cannot accommodate a greater population, so the sewers are unable to do their job. Although the government gives citizens free water, many people still do not receive enough. The government can only give a certain amount of clean water before they eventually start to run out. Overpopulation also leads to less job opportunities because many people apply for the same job. As a result, the unemployment rate in South Africa, as of April 2009, was 23.5% of the population. In comparison, the United States' unemployment rate was about 9% of the population. Even the people with jobs have a hard time supporting themselves and their families. Approximately one third of the working population makes only $2 daily.

Climate Change

Climate change is one of the biggest factors in the South African Water Crisis. The main problem climate change produces, is the fact that South Africa receives only about 19.6 inches of rainfall annually. In comparison, the Earth's average rainfall is about 32 inches. Another major problem is, the little water there is, evaporates very quickly. Finally, when water is exposed to heat, bacteria grows in the water. The bacteria makes the water unsafe to drink, and also raises the risk of water related diseases such as climate change. Climate change is a major problem for South Africa because it is an uncontrollable factor.

Welcome to My Blog

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be updating the readers of this blog about the current water situation in South Africa. In addition to putting up my research on this topic, I will include current events on my topic. My main goal is to educate people on this topic, which will hopefully convince people to donate money or volunteer for South African foundations. Even the smallest actions could help improve conditions in South Africa. I would greatly appreciate if everyone could comment or join this blog.