Untold waters

Abstract

This thesis investigates how fragile urban landscapes can be strengthened and rehabilitated towards a coextensive urban riverine landscape. Unexpected floods frequently devastate vulnerable communities, such as the informal settlements in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, South Africa, located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. These seasonal and increasing occurrences often destroy homes and, tragically, claim lives due to insufficient flood mitigation strategies and policies. The practice of slowing, diverting, and using floodwaters has been developed across diverse cultures and contexts into unique water strategies. These strategies have proven sustainable due to the locals’ understanding of the natural cycles and patterns. In many cases, these water management strategies have been implemented to improve agricultural productivity and the liveability of the locals - and unlike many contemporary solutions, which often rely on mechanised, and linear systems, a hands-on approach prioritises direct human involvement and care, emphasising local knowledge over engineered interventions. The value of studying such case studies is to learn from and extract principles that could inform contemporary urban approaches. The purpose of this research is therefore to explore alternative flood mitigation and riverine rehabilitation strategies that draw inspiration from existing low-tech water management practices, with a focus on simplicity, sustainability, and community engagement.