Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has welcomed the classification of the ongoing drought and looming water supply risks as a national disaster, saying it will help the province act faster to protect water security.

The declaration, issued by the National Disaster Management Centre, covers the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, where drought conditions are threatening essential services and livelihoods.

It places responsibility on the National Executive to coordinate the response, while all organs of state are expected to strengthen their contingency measures.

Winde says the move allows the province to take preventative action, redirect funding and tighten water restrictions where necessary.

He notes that dam levels in the Western Cape are sitting at around 50%, significantly lower than in recent years, and warns that authorities must prepare for the possibility of several dry seasons ahead.

He highlighted ongoing interventions in water-stressed areas such as Knysna and towns in the Karoo, along with major investments already made in water resilience projects.

These include new reservoirs, desalination plants, additional boreholes and upgrades to water and sewerage infrastructure across municipalities.

Residents, businesses and institutions are being urged to conserve water, while government departments must submit regular progress reports as part of coordinated prevention, mitigation and recovery plans.