Severe drought in South Africa has led to massive loss of livestock and crops
The prolonged drought that began in January 2024 in southern Africa has caused massive loss of livestock and crops, endangering the food security of millions of people.
The drought is largely caused by the ongoing El Nino phenomenon (fluctuation in the temperature of the surface water layer in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which has a noticeable effect on the climate), which has changed the precipitation process during the growing season.
According to researchers from the Center for Climate Hazards (CHC) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, from late January to mid-March this year, some parts of South Africa received half or less than the usual amount of precipitation.
February turned out to be the driest in the 40-year history of observations in an area covering most of Zambia, Zimbabwe, southeastern Angola and northern Botswana.
The drought has also affected livestock. More than 9,000 cattle deaths have been recorded in Zimbabwe. It is estimated that at least 1.4 million heads are at high risk of death due to dried grass on pastures and lack of drinking water.
According to researchers from the Center for Climate Hazards (CHC) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, from late January to mid-March this year, some parts of South Africa received half or less than the usual amount of precipitation.
February turned out to be the driest in the 40-year history of observations in an area covering most of Zambia, Zimbabwe, southeastern Angola and northern Botswana.
The drought has also affected livestock. More than 9,000 cattle deaths have been recorded in Zimbabwe. It is estimated that at least 1.4 million heads are at high risk of death due to dried grass on pastures and lack of drinking water.
The map above shows the state of soil moisture (an estimate of the amount of water available for crops) in southern Africa as of March 2024. Orange and red areas indicate a lack of moisture in the soil. The data for the map was taken from the FEWS NET Land Data assimilation system, which uses observational datasets and seasonal climate forecasts to provide monthly forecasts of hydrological conditions relevant to food security in Africa and the Middle East.
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