Every last drop: the role of spatial planning in enhancing integrated urban water management in the City of Cape Town

Abstract

Water is essential to life. Current urban water systems often degrade freshwater ecosystems, nature’s ability to replenish resources and the relationship between people and the environment. To address this, integrated urban water management (IUWM) has been developed; yet, is too often undermined by institutional paralysis and a subsequent lack of physical change in cities. This paper presents key learnings from research undertaken to understand how spatial planning can be utilized as a tool in IUWM; where hydrological systems influence the form and structure of cities. The intention is to improve water literacy in urban planning where complex conditions confront urban and natural systems. This research culminates in a theoretically considered spatial water framework (SWF) for the City of Cape Town to guide appropriate and innovative intervention in the urban water system. The SWF envisions Cape Town transitioning to an increasingly water-secure future as facilitated through nurturing a reverence for water; enabling restoration of water systems through ecological alignment; embracing restraint towards water use; and cultivating responsibility to develop good water stewards. Therein lies the opportunity for a closer integration of planning for urban development and water systems while reconciling the human–nature relationship.