Here in the Western Cape province of South Africa, a winter rainfall region, we are having a serious drought, having had very little rain last winter and in previous years. We have had strict water restrictions for several months and these have just been tightened up even further, allowing gardens to be watered with handheld hoses for only 30 minutes per week. No sprinklers may be used and hoses may not be used for washing cars, hosing down paving, etc. Our lawn is dead as are those of many other homes, as we have only been watering shrubs and flower beds.

Earlier this morning I overheard a colleague telling another that she had been cheating by using a sprinkler in the middle of the night because her lawn was dying. She doesn't care if she is penalised for excessive water use as this will be cheaper than replacing a dead lawn. I'm amazed that people can be so selfish and short-sighted at a time when alternative water sources are being investigated to try and avert the looming crisis. Unless something major happens or is done, it is clear that within a few years this region will have insufficient water to sustain the population. People like my colleague are certainly not helping.