Transformative Art Applied to the Social Hydrogeology of the Cape Flats, South Africa

Abstract

The Cape Flats Aquifer (CFA) is a primary coastal aquifer under the low-lying eastern suburbs and townships in the City of Cape Town (South Africa). It was identified as a major groundwater source since the 1970s but only intermittently explored and monitored until 2018, when Cape Town initiated an emergency programme in response to a prolonged drought. The objectives in this programme—still in progress—include detailed mapping of aquifer extent and properties, establishment and maintenance of a monitoring programme, and design and implementation of a Managed Aquifer Recharge abstraction scheme. Sustaining the potential of the CFA requires a holistic approach, considerate of the social, cultural and economic context. Support from the local communities is essential if this natural resource is to be harnessed for the benefit of all, as a supply and a means to store water for reuse from wastewater treatment works situated above the aquifer. CFA development can potentially help heal many of the historic societal wounds arising from the apartheid system of segregation and discrimination. The practices of transformative art may provide a practical and useful way to consider and structure the necessary “edges of engagement” in the socio-hydrogeological and environmental context.