In this post, we want to highlight some of the causes and effects of drought, with our focus being on Africa. As it happened in Namibia a few years ago the lack of rainfall caused the death of much of the wildlife, as the drought killed the grasses, it greatly depleted the grazing animals that depend on it for survival. “No miraculous discoveries are required,” suggest Adams and Paice. [7] El Niño events in Southern Africa also increase the likelihood of African armyworm outbreaks, further decreasing the region's agricultural output. The government denies there is a problem. In Africa, climate change is evident in disruption of weather patterns; lack of rainfall, or too much rainfall. There are many causes of drought in Africa, there is a need to know the causes in order for us to come up with probable solutions and prevention plans.

[16][17], In May 2019, Namibia declared a state of emergency in response to the drought,[18] and extended it by additional 6 months in October 2019. Deforestation is also a major cause of drought in Africa, caused by human activity. As of mid-August 2019, the drought is classified as a level 2 Red-Class event by the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System. In response, a senior government official in the northern Manyara region released emergency food stocks onto the market. A new drought means 2017 could be just as dire, throwing an additional 5.7 million people into crisis. Even though in this case there may still be some rainfall, there may not be enough to sustain life. The 2018–20 Southern Africa drought is an ongoing period of drought taking place in Southern Africa. That currently applies only to South Sudan, but could also include Somalia if the emergency response falters. Climate change, a major cause of drought in Africa, refers to long term changes that are occurring all over the earth. Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. With the high air pressure on one side and low air pressure on the other side, a vacuum is created in the middle.

Rwanda did not escape last year’s drought. That is likely to underestimate the extent of the problem. Southern Africa Drought Situation. Widespread crop failure and falling terms of trade for pastoralists have affected farming and agro-pastoral communities in the northwest, northeastern and coastal strip of Kenya. The next five-six months are considered the "lean" season, during which time stockpiled food is consumed while the concurrent "wet" season rains nourish the next year's crops. [11], In spring 2018, an El Niño event disrupted Southern Africa's annual rainfall. There have been good rains over the past two months but there is a national shortage of fertilizer. Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. That is why it is especially important that we study drought so as to avoid it, or at least cushion its effects. For many in East Africa, the current drought is the worst in living memory. Food insecurity is also driven by conflict, particularly in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. [8], In the late 2015 – early 2016 season, an El Niño event caused a drought in some parts of Southern Africa. As granaries empty and people sell off livestock, there are concerns over their ability to bounce back this year.

Basic food prices remain high at the peak of the lean season. Dineo, which hit coastal Inhambane Province, affected nearly 551,000 people and destroyed 27,000 hectares of crops. The government is resisting calls for a declaration of emergency. Drought is a condition described as a lack of rainfall over an extended period of time. What makes food price spikes all the harder to bear is that there is rarely a corresponding increase in people’s wages. Cape Town drought a 'national disaster' The announcement came as the city revealed "Day Zero", when it will run out of water, is delayed. Due to the depletion in the ozone layer, there is an ever-increasing rise in atmospheric temperature in certain places. Countrywide, rice prices were up by 25 percent and maize prices had doubled by the end of January.

“But the start point is recognition of the unsustainability of a relentless rise in the cost of food throughout Africa; and the fact that while droughts and conflict may create price spikes, the root causes of this phenomenon lie with government.”.

In 2016, food prices were up 172 percent above the five-year average. PDF: Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, "Overall Red Drought alert for Southern Africa-2018 in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe from 11 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC to 15 Feb 2019 00:27 UTC", Overall Orange alert Drought for Southern Africa-2018, "Overall Red alert Drought for Southern Africa-2018 in Angola, Botswana, Congo, DRC, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe", "Southern Africa | Drought Situtation – Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) – DG ECHO Daily Map | 29/01/2019 - Zimbabwe", http://www.gdacs.org/contentdata/maps/daily/DR/1012728/ECDM_20190129_Southern_Africa_Drought.pdf, "Africa to suffer major blackouts as climate change dries up hydropower dams, scientists warn", "Southern Africa: Humanitarian Key Messages, November 2018 - Malawi", "FAO in the 2019 humanitarian appeal: 2018/19 El Niño Response Plan for Southern Africa - Zimbabwe", "Southern Africa: Drought Coming for SADC", "FAO Warns Southern Africa to Prepare for Drought", https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ca3071en_0.pdf, "GIEWS Update: Southern Africa - Dry weather conditions reduce agricultural production prospects in 2019 (22 January 2019) - Madagascar", "Southern Africa Food Security Alert: February 1, 2019 - Zimbabwe", https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/GlobalWeatherHazard-19.02.15.pdf, "Hunger in Africa continues to rise, says New UN report", "UN raises alarm on drought crisis in SADC || The Southern Times", "Namibia declares national state of emergency over drought", Two years later, SA’s drought has just been declared a national emergency – again, Report: Corruption fuels Water Shortage in South Africa, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2018–20_Southern_Africa_drought&oldid=978373634, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 September 2020, at 14:43. Farmers and herders found their resilience tested to the limit last year. The El Niño-driven crisis has increased the malnutrition rates of rural children, and driven up food prices for urban residents. In areas where there is a scarcity of rainfall, drought is brought about when farmers have an increased dependence on water to grow their crops. A number of countries wrestling with the impact of El Niño have still recorded decent macro-economic growth rates, but food price inflation means those benefits are rarely felt by ordinary citizens. Ninety percent of people in need received in-kind and cash aid. [4], The Southern African climate is affected by strong seasonal rainfall patterns; the majority of the region's annual rainfall is deposited by storms from early November to March, forming what is considered Southern Africa's wet season. That vacuum receives very little precipitation, and so drought occurs. B: trees can break the wind, especially when they are located on high ground. Some of this water is lost to the atmosphere through transpiration. The northern Sahel and East Africa were drier than normal throughout the 2009 rainy season. The 2018–20 Southern Africa drought is an ongoing period of drought taking place in Southern Africa. The El Niño-driven crisis has increased the malnutrition rates of rural children, and driven up food prices for urban residents. There are not many policies in place to support water conservation and hence mitigate against drought in some countries in Africa. The soil begins to lose its moisture and, over time, being unable to support plant growth. There have been media reports of failed harvests and livestock deaths. The 2015 El Niño event was particularly severe and continued to be felt in the east of the country in 2016.

[4] Though variations exist, the region's farmers tend to plant their next crop in late October—this sowing is timed with the expected rains that begin to arrive in November. With good rains this season, an average harvest is forecast. Displacement, malnutrition and drought-related diseases are all on the rise, and famine could be declared in parts of the country. The drought caused food and water shortages in Kenya.

Drought can happen anywhere, but it seems that Africa has been the hardest hit by this natural disaster. [1] The alert level was reduced to the Orange-1.7 by 12 December 2019, as the new wet season had started. [19], The drought was re-declared as national emergency in South Africa 4 March 2020. We are now in the third year of very low rainfall coupled with high temperatures, which have exhausted people’s ability to cope with drier conditions and scarce and unpredictable rains. UNICEF plans to reach 450,000 children this year with nutritional support. Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) – DG ECHO Daily Map | 29/01/2019.

The strongest El Niño phenomenon on record led to an extreme drought in 2016, with 10.2 million in need of food aid. The impact of last month’s cyclone Dineo is expected to add an additional 300,000 to those in need. But cash crop farmers are expected to see a fall in income this season after reducing the area they planted. On the African continent, there is very little development, and the reliance on agriculture for survival is very high. Trees have the ability to send their roots deep down into the earth, thus drawing up water into their leaves. What makes food price spikes all the harder to bear is that there is rarely a corresponding increase in people’s wages.