drought
Drought tests Zimbabwe’s disaster preparedness
Zimbabwe’s disaster preparedness has returned to haunt the country in the aftermath of a devastating drought. Questions have long been asked about the reliability and efficacy of the country’s early warning systems to forecast pending disasters such as below normal rainfall that will lead to drought. While other Southern[...]
Drought strikes, Zambia adjusts!
The what, why, and how of Zambia’s national state of disaster. Zambian agriculture is facing trials and tribulations as the drought is becoming worse and rain stays away. President Hakainde Hichilema has officially declared Zambia as going through a national disaster. He says that the country has had up[...]
Farming with nature: Drought mitigation
In the face of an extreme drought that has devastated large parts of the Karoo, including the Klein Karoo, it is important for farmers to learn how to mitigate the extreme conditions exacerbated by climate change, and to save their natural pasture. A workshop where these mitigating principles were[...]
Drought effects in sub-Saharan Africa
by Tapuwa Mashangwa Over the past decade rainfall patterns in Africa have been less consistent to a point of even being non-existent in some areas. This unfortunate occurrence costs millions of farmers their livelihood as they are unable to supply markets with produce, or reducing their profitability, increasing debts[...]
Zambia: when crop dreams are crushed
The first quarter of 2022 has been marked by drought conditions in the southern parts of Africa, particularly Zambia. Here’s a look at the causes, pertinent issues and those working on relief measures. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), small-scale farmers are the[...]