The Cape Town drought illustrates how a highly diverse African city and its citizens responded to protracted and unanticipated water scarcity. Human-caused climate change made the reduced rainfall that caused the drought three times more likely  . After three consecutive years of low precipitation, Cape Town braced for a 'Day Zero' where large portions of the city would lose water supply . The risk of Day Zero was anticipated to cascade to affect risks to health, economic output and security . The case study highlights the importance of communication, budgetary flexibility, robust financial buffers and insurance mechanisms, disaster planning, intergovernmental cooperation, nature-based solutions, infrastructure transformations and equitable access for climate adaptation in African cities facing water scarcity.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report