Day Zero
The Cape Town Water Crisis "Day Zero"—a phrase that typically signifies the final moment in a countdown—has long belonged to the realm of science fiction, often associated with dystopian futures and apocalyptic collapse. But in early 2018, this abstract concept became an imminent reality for Cape Town, South Africa—a modern metropolis of over four million people.
For the first time in modern history, a major city faced the possibility of its municipal water supply running dry. If Day Zero arrived, taps across the city would be turned off. Residents would have to queue at designated collection points under armed guard to receive their daily water rations. Schools, hospitals, businesses—life itself—would be profoundly disrupted.
What was once unimaginable had become terrifyingly real: a city on the verge of complete water depletion. Cape Town’s Day Zero was no longer a warning of things to come. It was a moment poised to redefine how the world thinks about water, resilience, and survival in the age of climate change.
With Alan Winde Western Cape Provincial Minister of Economic Opportunities Ian Douglas Neilson Deputy Mayor of Cape Town Sheikh Abduragmaan Alexander Religious Minister at Masjidul-Quds Chantelle Albury scenario strategist and bestselling author