Western Cape Seeks Disaster Declaration as Wildfires and Water Crisis Intensify

Western Cape is seeking a disaster declaration as severe wildfires and a worsening water crisis strain provincial resources. Knysna faces critical water shortages, with residents urged to limit use to 50 litres per person daily to avoid Day Zero. More than 100,000 hectares have burned, hundreds of firefighters have been deployed, and authorities say a disaster declaration would allow faster funding and more effective response.

South Africa’s Western Cape Province is preparing a formal submission to Cabinet requesting that the province be declared a disaster area, as severe wildfires combined with a worsening water crisis continue to place intense pressure on provincial resources, according to a federal government statement.
Provincial Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, told a press briefing on Tuesday night that the situation in Knysna Municipality was becoming increasingly critical due to a deteriorating water supply. State broadcaster SABC reported that the Knysna Municipality has renewed its appeal to residents, urging them to drastically reduce water consumption to 50 litres per person per day in an effort to manage the crisis.
“Especially when you look at our fire season and the water crisis, the pressure is enormous,” Bredell said, highlighting the strain being placed on both financial and natural resources across the province.
Referring to the ongoing wildfires, Bredell described them as “runaway fires” that have significantly depleted the provincial budget. He stressed the urgency of a disaster declaration, noting that such a move would enable the government to redirect funds more quickly and make faster, more effective decisions. “The sooner we declare a disaster for both water and fire, the sooner we can shift funding, make quicker decisions, and focus our efforts where they are needed most,” he said.
Bredell explained that a disaster declaration by the National Disaster Management Centre would allow the province to move funds rapidly across departments and respond more efficiently to the escalating crisis. He warned that Knysna is currently using more water than it can sustainably supply. “At this stage, Knysna is consuming more water — about 12 megalitres per day — than it can supply,” he said. “If we can reduce consumption to 50 litres per person per day and bring additional sources online, we can avoid a Day Zero situation.”
Addressing the wildfire threat, Bredell said the current fire season has been exceptionally severe and is expected to persist into April and May due to ongoing hot and dry weather conditions. He added that the province is making internal financial adjustments to ensure that all available aerial firefighting resources remain operational. “We will now make internal financial adjustments to ensure the 21 aircraft at our disposal can remain operational, with final costs reconciled during the adjustment budget process later this year,” he said.
More than 100,000 hectares of land have already been burned across the Western Cape. Fires in the Overstrand and Cape Winelands regions have required the deployment of more than 500 firefighters, who are working to protect communities, critical infrastructure, and the province’s rich biodiversity as the crisis continues to unfold.