Reducing the Pathology of Risk

The City of Cape Town Municipality (CCT) is home to 3.8 million people, constituting 65 per cent of the population of the Western Cape Province. The GDP of the city is the second-largest in the South African economy, contributing 11.1 per cent of the national GDP (CCT 2009). The CCT administers a coastline of approximately 240km, ¹ with the Table Mountain National Park administering a further 67km of coastline within the city’s geographical boundary (CCT 2010).The city’s coastal environment is arguably its greatest socio-economic and environmental asset and is central to Cape Town’s economy and sense of place. ² This is reflected in the vast array of developments, activities and values associated with the coast. The governance and management of this valuable space are therefore critical to the future sustainability of the city.