Water sensitive airports for South Africa, Airports Company South Africa owns some of the world’s most internationally acclaimed airports and has a mandate to manage, mitigate, and report on environmental issues at their properties. The three major South African international airports have accommodated approximately 30 million passengers per year at their peak.
Persistent water stress increases water restrictions and usage fees at airports. Meeting the water needs of essential facilities like airports requires water infrastructure upgrades. Long-term chronic flooding from sea-level rise demands updates to drainage systems, runway surfaces, and connecting infrastructure. Airports in arid climates like South Africa consume large amounts of water for cooling, irrigation, and pavement power washing. Decentralizing water supply reduces operational costs and makes facilities more resilient to water scarcity conditions.
Major airports are vulnerable to water extremes, which climate change continues to intensify. Planning for resiliency is critical, especially for airports in densely populated communities, near rivers, or in coastal areas. Airports drive economic growth and serve as essential connectivity and trade hubs, particularly for the rapidly urbanizing African continent that depends on tourism as a major economic driver.
We design projects and identify opportunities that combine environmentally friendly water implementation and management with all resilience aspects needed to create water-sensitive airport facilities. Our engineers have championed numerous projects globally and continue to transform the landscape of high-traffic transport facilities.
