Durban’s water restrictions explained
In this week’s episode of The Green Scene, we
look at why Durban faces water restrictions despite heavy rains.
In this episode of The Green Scene, we dive into a topic that affects every Durbanite—our water supply.
With water restrictions recently imposed by national government, many residents are asking why we’re facing shortages despite frequent rainfall and, at times, even flooding.
To unpack this, the team welcomes Professor Cathy Sutherland from the University of KwaZulu-Natal's School of Built Environment & Development Studies and WASH Research & Development Centre.
Professor Sutherland, a geographer specialising in the relationship between social and environmental systems, helps Andiswa Susan Dlamini, Duncan Pritchard, and Sharlene Versfeld break down the complexities of water management in Durban.
They talk about the challenges of water access in rain-rich regions, the factors impacting water quality, and steps we can take to protect it, along with some success stories from around Durban. Listen at the top of the page, or directly below.
The Green Scene is produced by East Coast Radio in partnership with Durban-based NPO Green Corridors.
Meanwhile, we have some incredible wildlife that lives alongside us in Durban’s urban gardens, in our homes, and across the country.
Our gardens are mini ecosystems. You’ll find a variety of wildlife such as geckos, skinks, frogs, and snails like the Common Diadem and African Monarch. Birds like sunbirds and dusky flycatchers are regular visitors to Durban gardens, along with birds of prey like the protected Crowned Eagle. Pollinators like honey bees and butterflies are essential as well.
In episode three of The Green Scene, Andiswa Susan Dlamini, Duncan Pritchard, and Sharlene Versfeld looked at their roles within the ecosystem and share tips on how to support beneficial species while safely managing pests.
The ocean is probably the greatest wilderness area on the planet. It's right in front of us, but we just can't see it.
Durban's ocean and rivers
Meanwhile, for those of us who live on the coast, gazing at the sea, we may just see a lot of water, but there is so much more beneath it. In episode two of The Green Scene, the team looked at the Durban coastline—and explored the challenges we face in keeping it clean and healthy.
When people walk down to the sea, you watch them, they put their arms up in the air. It's like, and it doesn't matter where you come from, your background, your culture around the world. We've got this connection to the ocean that, that everybody feels.
Listen to episode two below:
Did you know that Durban is located within one of South Africa’s three globally recognised biodiversity hotspots, the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot?
With its rich variety of ecosystems, the city is home to an incredible range of plant and animal species—many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Yet, despite this natural wealth, Durban’s biodiversity faces increasing threats from climate change, invasive species, and urban expansion.
Listen to episode one directly below.
Follow the series or listen via the ECR website under Podcasts, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Meet the Hosts of The Green Scene Podcast
Andiswa Susan Dlamini is the Tourism Operations Manager at Green Corridors having worked there since its inception. She cut her teeth at the various Green Corridors sites where she helped manage and co-ordinate activities and has an intimate knowledge of its various operations. She is passionate about her role and helping connect people to the various Green Corridors sites. Andiswa is mum to a fast-growing teenager.
Duncan Pritchard heads up tourism product development, project management, planning and marketing at Green Corridors and is an independent sustainability practitioner with a special interest in niche ecotourism markets, avitourism, rural community development and related projects. His work aims at social, environment and economic development using tourism as a tool. He founded ETC-Africa a consultancy specialising in sustainability, ecotourism, conservation and greenhouse gas reporting. He is a registered carbon auditor and founder of the Unearthed academy for social entrepreneurship. He works on sustainability-related projects locally and internationally with groups ranging from small non-profits to local government to multi-national companies around Africa.
Sharlene Versfeld is a well-known Durban communications consultant who is also a qualified nature guide, nature enthusiast, and keen conservationist who works with Green Corridors. She loves trail running, hiking and walking, adventures, and travel, having done some iconic overland Africa trips with her family. She is married to an “IT Geek” and has two young adult children.