South Africa (Commonwealth Union) – Africa is a continent with vast contradictions from the longest river in the world, the river Nile and some of the largest lakes in the world to some of the driest deserts in North Africa.
Broad swathes of the continent have been experiencing regular and severe droughts since 1983, according to a new study conducted by the University of Bristol researchers and released by WaterAid. The WaterAid-commissioned study, by scientists from the University of Bristol and Cardiff University, saw East Africa, Southern Africa and Central Africa as key hotspots of rising droughts.
The evaluations reveal that there has been an elevation in the yearly number of dry and intensely dry months in these African regions, as well as an increase in the percentage of their landmass going through drought from 1983 to 2021. Some African countries including South Africa, Namibia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) saw a rise of up to 40% of their landmass effected by drought in the decade to 2021, compared to 3 decades ago.
Currently the Horn of Africa, consisting of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, is in its 5th consecutive failed wet season since at the end of 2020, resulting in millions of people facing severe food shortages.
According to WaterAid, researchers suggest the recently identified drought trends may relate to climate change, that will accelerate challenges to rural and urban communities in Africa. Urgent action will be required to ensure people get food, clean water and decent sanitation presently and in the future.
Tim Wainwright, Chief Executive of WaterAid in the UK, said: “Clean, safe water and sanitation helps communities and whole countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and build resilience against future shocks. It means people can stay disease free, go to school, earn a living, and be more self-reliant.” He further stated that it would help in handling gender inequality as women and girls who do most water collecting.
