Western Cape Province in South Africa is going through a severe drought, affecting in particular the highly populated urban area of Cape Town and its water supply. The Horn of Africa is experiencing multiple, overlapping humanitarian crises. Vijay Jayaraj - June 6, 2022. 3744 settlements in South Africa are affected by drought Real agricultural output was 92 lower in the first half of 2019 than in the corresponding period of 2018. Future assistance could be in the form of helping build . A severe drought is affecting eastern and central regions of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) and is likely the worst drought in 40 years, after a fourth consecutive belowaverage rainfall . The compounding crises in different parts of the world were caused by compounding geopolitical, economic, and natural causes, such as extreme heat, flooding and drought caused by climate change.The crises follow food security and economic crises during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because South Africa has "different hydrological zones, meaning that whereas some parts may be . During the year 1992 and 1993, undoubtedly one of the most widespread droughts of the last 45 years, maize had to be imported to South Africa. South Africa's chances of getting more water for its production are more than most countries in the region. A drought is caused by drier than normal conditions that can eventually lead to water supply problems. Parts of southern Africa have been affected by consecutive years of abnormally hot weather and below average rainfall that have scorched grazing lands and dried up watering holes since 2015, the driest year on record. In partic-ular, southern Angola, south-western Zambia, most of Na-mibia, north-western otswana and most of South Africa's South Africans eat a lot of meat. Altered weather patterns. Conflict Causes Hunger in Africa. Water scarcity is driven by two factors (i) physical (physical or absolute water scarcity) or economic (economic water scarcity). Poor Water Management. However, South Africa is continuously making headlines. The alert level was reduced to the Orange-1.7 by 12 December . 2. What causes drought? Droughts only occur when an area is abnormally dry. Essay On Drought In South Africa. While geographers have researched the causes and impacts of drought in many African contexts, South Africa and in particular its Bantustans have not received sufficient similar attention. The drought devastating parts of South Africa will cause the country's farmers to lose up to R10 billion this year. A drought during the early 1930s that coincided with the great depression made a deep impression on many policy makers. The 2018-2021 Southern Africa drought is an ongoing period of drought taking place in Southern Africa.The drought began in late October 2018, and is negatively affecting food security in the region. For people living in arid and semi-arid areas of the Horn of Africa, conflict and drought create a constant competition for scarce resources. Altered weather patterns. South Africa have increased significantly, and the most common type of disaster is drought. Causes Effects and Possible Way Out 2020 Drought in South Africa is a challenge. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of animals . An estimated 13,000 people in a region known as the ceja de selva . A highly politicized armed conflict in northern Ethiopia has caused global outrage and has pulled political and financial attention away from other issues facing the region . [2]; [3]; [4] This is based principally on physical descriptors like climatic conditions and escalating water demands. Drought is becoming an on-going reality. The Cape Town water crisis in South Africa was a period of severe water shortage in the Western Cape region, most notably affecting the City of Cape Town.While dam water levels had been declining since 2015, the Cape Town water crisis peaked during mid-2017 to mid-2018 when water levels hovered between 15 and 30 percent of total dam capacity. Excess water demands. The recent drought in southern Africa has underscored the need for detailed analysis of the phenomenon. 1) Land and water temperatures cause drought. Significant droughts also occurred during the 1960s, 1980s, and early 1990s. The UN predicts that climate change impacts will push an additional 37.6 million to 100.7 million people into poverty by 2030, depending on global warming scenarios. hypothesis of drought in south africa. The first thing to understand is the ocean. The key to drought preparedness and readiness is about knowing the what, how and when of the drought. The outward effects triggered by drought range from its impact on agriculture's contribution to the . Extreme drought events in southern Africa are the result of a number of atmospheric circulation interactions (Tyson, 1986 . The Day Zero Cape Town drought was one of the worst water crises ever experienced in a metropolitan area (1, 2).Droughts are a regular occurrence in southwestern South Africa (SSA), having occurred during the late 1920s, early 1970s, and, more recently, during 2003-2004 (Fig. Causes of these droughts could be the immense climate change taking place, as well as reduced . South Africa is the 30th driest country in the world, and the country has a long history of grappling with droughts. Drought is natural hazard of South Africa's climate, and it is expected worsen with climate change projections. The most serious impact, other than dwindling water supplies, is the effect on staple crops and, ultimately, commercial crops. While geographers have researched the causes and impacts of drought in many African contexts, South Africa and in particular its Bantustans have not received sufficient similar attention. Let's have a look at Libya, Iran, Egypt & Israel. Hunger, put more simply, is a feeling of "weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat.". Answer (1 of 6): There are many factors involved in drought wet/dry cycles in the weather and they are important to understand anywhere you live. A drought here could severely affect South Africa's economy. South Africa's grain farmers are currently battling with dry conditions in the main part of South Africa's maize belt, where crop plantings have been delayed beyond the optimum planting weather due to the drought. When a government is engaged in war, whether civil or with another country, the leadership of a country must divert funds from some sectors to military expenditure. The El Nino weather phenomenon, one of the worst in 50 years, has caused intense drought in southern Africa that will have a "devastating" impact on the region's food security, the UN food agency . 2022 saw a rapid increase in food prices and shortages of food supplies around the world. 1. Over approximately 50 years South Africa has suffered numerous drought periods, therefore it was necessary to implement water security. Droughts only occur when an area is abnormally dry. Southern Africa is in for a bumpy, dry ride. 1 A and B).However, the extended winter (April to September [AMJJAS]) 3-y rainfall deficit (Fig. It should be a lead sector of coop - Despite this familiarity with drought, policy makers still struggle to quantify it and to develop a stable policy framework. During the period of drought, this turns out to be progressively clear, and it further implies that the current shortage of water becomes worse. The picturesque scene of farmed animals frolicking in the hills while eating the greenest grass and listening to Barry White is a bit of misnomer. IFRC. B. Cape Town was struck by a drought, and has around 70 days of water left in its water reservoir, which happens to be a dam. Although South Africa's average rainfall has been low, only certain areas of the country are experiencing a meteorological drought, media liaison for South Africa's department of water and sanitation, Sputnik Ratau told Africa Check. Angola: Drought - Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA), DREF Operation n MDRAO007. Of the approximately 6.5 million people in South Africa, a staggering . 20 Dec 2021. 12 February 2016, Rome - Southern Africa is currently in the grip of an intense drought that has expanded and strengthened since the earliest stages of the 2015-2016 agricultural season, driven by one of the strongest El Nio events of the last 50 years. In May, most households, commercial buildings, and industries experienced hours of blackouts. Drought has been cited as a prime catalyst in contributing to significant historical changes. Natural causes. Let's have a look at Libya, Iran, Egypt & Israel. The ocean is the most influential thing in the weather. South Africa is considered a water-scarce country. Just because a region is hot and dry doesn't necessarily mean it is going through a drought. View all Southern Africa: Drought - 2018-2022 . At least nine other African nations are also suffering from drought. "Water, water, water!" he runs through the streets . South Africas agricultural industry employs over 800000 people. The South African weather service defines a drought as a period of 12 moths when Climate Change. A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems. SA's worst water shortages in 23 years have caused a decline in farming output that will lower its GDP and cause food-price increases. Answer (1 of 9): The only practical solution is to invest more in technology. This drought has had major socio-economic effects particularly on the large impoverished rural population as well as on some urban areas where supplied water services have broken down in several case A drought is caused by drier than normal conditions that can eventually lead to water supply problems. According to reports, this will likely increase in South Africa, since climate change keeps biting too. South Africa has a long history of living with drought. Our first case study of disaster neglect looks at a series of related events in Peru's northern Amazonas region. In the deserts of the Southwest, the average precipitation is less than 3 inches per year. The measure for drought (WMO 2012), most of the south-western area of the region was severely to extremely dry (see graph and map) and consequently suffered a meteoro-logical drought during the 2018/2019 rainy season. Several times a week the fire-brigade delivers water to . Usually, drought can cause serious hydrological imbalances and adversely affect land resource production systems [].Under the influence of global warming and rapid social and economic development, frequent drought has currently become one of the most serious environmental . Worst affected are KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Limpopo, North West and the Northern Cape . The following are three causes of famine in Africa. As of mid-August 2019, the drought is classified as a level 2 Red-Class event by the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System. 3. Laingsburg has been experiencing a long and severe drought, and despite rainfall elsewhere in South Africa the dry conditions continue here. 4 |Water Policy and Security in Africa Former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela said, "Access to water is a common goal. For many farmers in the western part of South Africa, this is the fifth or the sixth . Posted. Essay On Drought In South Africa. With this number increasing, there is a potential for more disastrous outcomes. Therefore, the country needs to prepare for this natural phenomenon. Over approximately 50 years South Africa has suffered numerous drought periods, therefore it was necessary to implement water security. As overall temperatures increase more water evaporates and severe weather conditions increase. South Africa's agricultural industry employs over 800,000 people. "Drought is a relatively complex concept, particularly the hydrological . Causes of these droughts could be the immense climate change taking place, as well as reduced . The current drought is the effect of a sustained below-average monthly rainfall series since 2015, which intensified in the last wet season (April to September 2017). The BFAP estimates that there will be a 3,76% . The amount of precipitation at a particular location varies from year to year, but over a period of years the average amount is fairly constant. In some cases, funding is removed from development, leaving the population especially . Figure 4 shows the situation of the drought in countries across Africa. Yet high costs, combined with low availability, mean only 20% of the country's commercial grain farmers have drought insurance . On a national scale, drought in South Africa results in a reduction in the yield of the maize crop with yields falling to below 1 ton per hectare (Fig, 4). At a national level, drought ripples across sectors and impacts on a range of activities. Much of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa has been experiencing a severe drought since 2015. Human impact on drought is additionally an undeniably significant cause, and this current Drought in South Africa is no exception. While it may . Africa is a good example of great vulnerability to drought and desertification and a seemingly inability to manage these climate based issues. Data from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster (2011) show that drought is a major disaster in South Africa in terms of the number of people affected and total economic loss, whilst floods top the chart in terms of number of mortalities. Water from wells and other sources are beginning to be rationed out to save reservoir water. "The most important cause of the lack of rain is thought to be the strong El Nio of recent years", says drought expert Niko Wanders. The present drought in Cape Town has been caused by extremely poor rainfall in recent months, with the result that the water supplies are under enormous pressure. South Africa supposedly one of Africa's advanced economies is reeling under severe power shortages and daily rolling blackouts some for as long as eight hours. There is a 50% chance of a drought occurring this summer that could have an impact on the whole region which still bears the effect of last year's . Little or no precipitation is one of the major causes of a drought. The impacts of drought (first order impacts such as food security concerns and second order impacts such as increasing food imports from abroad) produce a range of effects for many in society (Benson and Clay, 1998). Their conditions were far much wores at one time than what t. Explanation: Various Causes of Drought. South Africa's chances of getting more water for its production are more than most countries in the region. Climate change in South Africa has been coming with different unpalatable effects, like droughts and the rest. Source. To achieve this goal the scienti c The drought, the most extreme in South Africa since the start of the 20th century, shattered the fragile equilibrium between the agricultural and coal sectors. And that means regions and cities across South Africa could soon be facing . Overall, the drought in Africa is estimated to have affected 11 million people. Excess water demands. 1 A and B; SI . Answer (1 of 9): The only practical solution is to invest more in technology. A drought means a long period of dry weather during which the lack of rain results in a severe shortage of water. Originally published. Human-caused warming has contributed to ongoing drought conditions. X2046, Mmabatho 8681, South Africa ABSTRACT: The recent drought in southern Africa has underscored the need for detailed analysis of the phenomenon. Droughts often give rise to famines that can lead to the loss of millions of lives. Drought in South Africa caused by El Nio, human action and climate change. Landscapes and crops need more water to survive and overall the demand for water increases. Lower than average levels of rainfall over a sustained period of time can dry the soil and and lead to crop . During the period of drought, this turns out to be progressively clear, and it further implies that the current shortage of water becomes worse. When the water reservoir runs out it will cause mass . Here is a list of the factors that trigger a drought: Low Levels of Precipitation .