Windhoek
The drought of 2016 is marching like a silent grim reaper, claiming thousands of livestock and depriving many rural households of their livelihood and reducing an estimated 500 000 people to desperate reliance on drought relief.
The latest satellite images from the Namibian Rangeland Monitor System reveals a rather frightening picture and clearly show the extent of the drought and depletion of the country’s rangelands.
Some half a million Namibians are now dependent on government’s drought food aid. There is, however, some relief in the form of a revised drought food programme that is expected to be approved by Cabinet this week.
Lack of sufficient grazing has already led to many deaths in hard-hit regions like Omusati and Omaheke. If the drought continues into the new rainy season, humans and animals are likely to suffer greatly, as the current drought is already documented as the worst in over 30 years.
Governor of Omusati Region Erkki Endjala says the drought situation in that region is getting worse by the day. Like in other regions, drought, desertification and land degradation have been accelerated by a long period of insufficient rainfall that started in 2012. Drought is very severe in Omusati Region and the majority of the people are affected. Many wells have run dry and Omusati Regional Council is now compelled to provide water to affected communities.
Amutenya Ndahafa, the regional councillor of the Uuvudhiya Constituency in Oshana Region, said water was pumped into Lake Oponona in November last year from Etaka by the Ministry of Water, Agriculture and Forestry, at his request.
In Kunene farmers have described this year’s drought as critical, as many areas in the region received way below average rainfall in both the 2014 and 2015 rainy seasons. Some areas recorded only about 40 mm this season.
Even though farmers want to sell some of their livestock to mitigate the impact, prices are very low and buyers have become more selective. Kunene Governor Angelika Muharukua said many farmers in that region have lost their livestock due to the drought.
A recent study conducted by agricultural technicians in Kunene Region also found that poor rainfall during for the past three rainy seasons, continues to negatively impact on pastures in the region, resulting in diminishing perennial water in most villages.
Drought is also plaguing the Ohangwena Region, where over 1 000 households from 60 villages in Eengodi Constituency are reportedly in dire need of water – a situation that is described by the Ohangwena Regional Council as potentially life-threatening.
During the 11th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification held in Namibia in September 2013, the former executive secretary, Luc Gnacadja, called on international organisations and businesses to provide support to Namibia to address the severe drought the country is facing.
In 2013 and again this year, farmers in Kunene lost their livestock due to drought. Some children’s deaths were also linked to a lack of food.
Climate change has increased the frequency of drought, in the arid regions of southern Africa, Namibia in particular.
Namibia’s environmental commissioner Teofilus Nghitila said due to drought, desertification and land degradation experienced in Namibia in 2013, the country spent almost N$80 million on drought-relief programmes, which was upped to more than N$90 million the following year.
Observers New Era spoke to conclude that Namibia needs a plan and to act swiftly to improve its preparedness and resistance to drought events.
In April, the Office of the Prime Minister announced that close to 418 000 Namibians, who are affected by drought, would start receiving government assistance from May.
The permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Nangula Mbako, said Cabinet had authorised the implementation of an interim drought relief programme, which includes the distribution of maize meal to close to 418 000 people from May to July 2015.
Government has set aside N$300 million for drought mitigation purposes, which cover measures, such as procurement of food for affected communities and household provision of water for human and animal consumption by drilling new boreholes and rehabilitating old ones, as well as assistance to crop producers and livestock farmers.
The Crop Prospects, Food Security and Drought Situation Report, released by the Namibian government on July 31 last year, says Namibia will have to import almost 210 000 tonnes of cereal to ensure food security as a consequence of the 2013 and 2015 droughts.