Cape Town
South Africa
Cape Town is projected to face moderate climate risks, notably concerning its water resources and urban infrastructure. In response, the city has implemented technology-enabled climate resilience solutions encompassing water storage, pumping systems, and pressure management to improve water supply stability. Furthermore, Cape Town employs decision support tools for climate adaptation and urban planning, which enhance the city's ability to anticipate and address future climatic challenges. These current and proposed initiatives aim to build robust infrastructure that can withstand the impacts of climate change while ensuring efficient resource management. This proactive approach seeks to foster resilience and sustainability across the city, ultimately safeguarding the community against ongoing and future climate hazards.
Hazard Outlook
How will Cape Town's projected climate hazards compare to other cities under a 3.0°C future warming scenario?
Elevation
At 38 m elevation, Cape Town faces elevated risk from coastal flooding and sea level rise.
Maximum Temperature
Cape Town's projected maximum temperature of 8.8°C is near the median of cities globally under a 3.0°C warming scenario.
Maximum Rainfall
Cape Town's projected maximum rainfall of 8 mm is near the median of cities globally.
Longest Heatwave
Cape Town may experience heatwaves lasting up to 2 days, lower than most other cities.
Heavy Rainfall Days
With 8 days of heavy rainfall expected, Cape Town ranks lower than most cities for extreme precipitation events.
Exposure Summary
Adaptation Priorities
Cape Town faces elevated exposure to elevation. These areas may warrant priority attention in adaptation planning.
Data source: Climate projections from the IPCC AR6 scenario analysis. See our methodology for details on how we process and interpret this data.
Deployed Solutions
Deployed climate adaptation technologies identified in Cape Town.
Smart Water Pressure Management Infrastructure
Beginning in late 2017 and continuing through 2018, Cape Town's municipal government significantly expanded its investment in advanced water pressure...
Smart Zone-Based Water Pressure Management System
Cape Town implemented smart process controllers that enable zone-by-zone water pressure management to significantly reduce water consumption.[^6][^7]...
Recommended Solutions
Proven solutions from similar cities that could help diversify Cape Town's resilience portfolio
My Tree Urban Georeferencing Platform
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InVEST Ecosystem Services Modeling for Climate Adaptation Planning
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Smart Stormwater Harvesting and Irrigation Optimization System
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River Hydraulic Modeling and Water Quality Monitoring System
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Smart Sewage Network Infrastructure Connection System
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Smart Water Metering for Real-Time Distribution Network Management
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