A surfer walks past the bulldozer used to dredge and keep open the mouth of the Zandvlei estuary at Cape Town's Muizenberg beach.

Cape Town's Muizenberg beach is a popular surf spot on the Zandvlei estuary, the only functioning estuary on the False Bay coast which meets the sea. The estuary has been negatively impacted by urban development. As part of its management approach, the City uses bulldozers to open the estuary mouth at certain periods, typically around the spring tides, to allow seawater in. In winter, opening the mouth also helps to stop flooding of houses adjacent to the waterbody. While this approach, along with other interventions, has led to improved ecological functioning, the estuary still experiences issues of poor water quality, sewage contamination, and pollution. Climate change threatens estuaries worldwide, making effective management essential.