Abstract
Cape Town still struggles to provide safe and clean access to water for many of its citizens. With the onset of droughts and the on-going pandemic, unequal distribution of water and extreme vulnerabilities faced by communities in the low-income and informal settlements are increasing. Climate change, apartheid, landscape deterioration, and poor governance are some of the main causes of Cape Town’s water insecurity. The legacy of apartheid is still prevalent in the segregated townships with limited or no access to public services. On the other hand, the city lies on unique landscapes that support rich biodiversity and has the potential to provide different ecosystem services. Therefore, the city needs to incorporate these complex socio-ecological urban landscape systems to formulate a climate-adaptive spatial planning and water management plan. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of landscape infrastructure design solutions that are socio-ecological inclusive and facilitate a more resilient, decentralized water management in townships. Studying the interactions between the natural and urban systems across multiple scales provide insights for integrated solutions on the local scale. We can understand the different water cycles and how to apply the design principles for water circularity by investigating one of the most vulnerable townships, Khayelitsha which is located at downstream of the Kuils river. These principles are elaborated more across two neighborhoods within Khayelitsha, both situated on the wetlands and sand dunes respectively. The study also points out the importance of indigenous knowledge in the landscape infrastructure design where it makes the functioning of the landscapes and maintenance possible. Further, the flexibility in implementation and suitable governance structure are discussed to demonstrate the feasibility in managing these systems and that promotes an incremental development of the township. Overall, the paper will showcase the need for cities to adopt landscape infrastructures as a strategy for water resilience and sustainable urban development to benefit its citizens in the long run.
