The drought crisis in Southern Africa is a catastrophic condition caused by severe water scarcity, for the past four years, the Southern Africa region has been suffering from a significant scarcity of water and has been dealing with a drought crisis.

This is unparalleled in terms of extent and severity, hurting agricultural productivity, drought resilience in communities, and socioeconomic growth. According to reports World Health Organization, even towns with access to clean water are experiencing water scarcity.

Drought is becoming an increasingly serious hazard to a water-stressed region. Climate change and population pressure have made it more difficult for farmers to produce agricultural products. The recent occurrence is the severe heatwave, extended dry conditions, and high temperatures. 

The region’s mean annual rainfall is projected by World Health Organization to decline due to a variety of socioeconomic variables such as population increase and urbanization, diminished plant cover, and climate change. Droughts are becoming more common because of climate change and the crisis felt in the Southern Africa region.

Many scientists have been studying water scarcity for years, but a severe crisis is now brewing in Southern Africa. The World Bank declared in 2014 that water scarcity had reached one of its worst levels ever. That’s when the drought became more visible to everyone. 

It has now evolved into a full-fledged disaster, with tales of entire communities becoming uninhabitable due to severe water shortages and a lack of access to clean water. Nairobi is the epicenter of this disaster, with four million people forced to flee their homes when the city ran out of water.

What is drought?

Drought is an extended period of dryness in the natural climatic cycle that may happen anywhere on the planet. It is a slow-onset crisis caused by a lack of rainfall, which results in a lack of water. Drought has significant consequences for health, agriculture, economy, energy, and ecosystems.

Drought endangers people’s livelihoods, raises the likelihood of sickness and death, and drives mass migration. Water scarcity affects 40% of the world’s population, and drought might force 700 million people to flee their homes by 2030.

Increased temperatures resulting from climate change make existing dry places dryer, which means water evaporates faster, potentially increasing the risk of crisis drought or extending drought periods. 

Current drought crisis in Southern Africa and its impact

Drought is the most hazardous national calamity in Southern Africa. Nonetheless, drought-prone areas are home to one-third of the region’s population.

Historically, Southern Africa has been one of the world’s most sensitive regions to the impacts of drought. Rainfall in the southern African drylands has been decreasing during the last 30 years. According to the assessment, droughts cost the region US$3.4 billion from 1980 to 2015, hurting more than 100 million people significantly. Climate change has made the region more humid and hot in 2023, increasing the possibility of even more severe droughts.

The drought crisis has led to starvation in some Southern African countries like Madagascar, this was recorded by African Index. Also, UNICEF recorded that over 70 million children in both East and Southern Africa live in poverty. 30% of the above-mentioned number are eating 0-2 of the 8 recommended food groups for healthy growth. 

In 2021, countries like Angola and Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and some others in Southern Africa were hit by severe drought crises alongside the COVID crisis. The drought crisis left Zimbabwe vulnerable to food insecurity. This led to many health issues in the region.

Navigating drought crisis in Southern Africa

Drought is a common and reoccurring phenomenon in Southern Africa, and it has prompted long-term action in the following areas:

• To navigate the drought crisis, Southern Africa should invest in soil and water management, mainly small-scale irrigation;

• Examine the suitability of present crop production patterns and the possibility for more intensive crop diversification programs;

• Southern Africa should establish a favorable atmosphere for disaster management;

• Encourage proactive drought crisis management through risk reduction initiatives

• They should also strengthen their ability to deal with disasters and their aftermath.

• Encourage combined and coordinated disaster management through forming relationships with stakeholders and cooperating with government agencies.

• Make sufficient financial arrangements;

• Encourage disaster preparedness training and education for the community.