W12 Congress: First International Meeting of Cities Facing a “Day Zero” Water Scenario

The City of Cape Town proudly welcomes you to the W12 Congress, an International Conference and Expo that seeks to create the world’s first Major City Best Practice Water Protocol and strengthen the citizen-driven governance of alternative sustainable water solutions.

The Congress brings together city officials, academics, business executives, water experts, and students from the major cities in the world that are likely to face a Day Zero scenario in the next 24 – 36 months. Cape Town was the first major city to face what has become known as Day Zero: the day water resources are completely depleted and taps run dry.

This International Event will be held in Cape Town from the 27th – 31st January 2020 to brainstorm and share strategic actions to mitigate the water crisis. The recent drought, increasing population and expansion negatively impacted Cape Town’s economy, citizens and enterprises across industries and communities. Thanks to concerted efforts from all sectors Day Zero was averted, for now.

W12 Congress is a run by a unique collaboration between the University of the Western Cape, Stellenbosch University Water Institute, University of Cape Town, Save Our Schools NPO, and the Institute for Ecological Civilization. These entities collectively aim to create the world’s first “Major City Best Practice Water Protocol” by aggregating knowledge within and across thematic areas and different geographies, ultimately creating a roadmap for change and inspiring engagement in solutions to this imminent crisis.

In partnership with UNESCO, the W12 Congress will form an integral part of a Netflix Documentary entitled “Water Wise: How Not to Drain a Country”.

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