Drought 2024 – The Only Constant Is Change!
Namibia is a semi-arid to arid country with a historical mean annual rainfall gradient ranging from approximately 700 mm in the northeast to virtually nothing in the southwest. As a result of climate change, these conditions are likely to shift. If predictions hold true, the consequences will be significant.
The rainfall in Namibia during the periods of 2013/14, 2018/19, and again in 2023/24 (October-April) was significantly below normal, marking some of the driest conditions in over a century of recorded rainfall. As a result, vegetation crucial for grazers and browsers has been severely depleted across much of the country. Large numbers of cattle have been either sent to abattoirs, exported as young animals to South African feedlots for meat production, or unfortunately face the prospect of perishing due to inadequate grazing. Wildlife, where able to roam freely, have a better chance of finding sustenance and surviving, yet this may lead to increased conflict over resources.
These pictures showcase Namibia during a ‘green season’, with average to above-average rainfall.
As predators follow their prey, if they come across a lean herd of livestock during their wanderings, their instinctual drive to eat may lead to desperate farmers taking lethal measures against them. In areas where wildlife is confined by fences, populations will need to be reduced, and many animals will lose weight and become lean. Survival will often depend on landowners who are willing to incur significant costs to provide supplementary food, such as dry grass, lucerne, pelleted bush-feed, and mixed phosphate/salt/bonemeal licks.
Creatures such as the gemsbok and the springbok have evolved over millennia, adapting to harsh, dry climates by moving freely. They have survived by following the rains and finding nourishment wherever it falls, even during the driest times. However, with the advent of farming, humans confined livestock behind fences, drastically reduced the numbers of competitive wild grazers, and erected barriers that severely limit wildlife movement.
As you drive through the harsh, bone-dry, black Okonjima veld, you won’t have to look hard to find wild animals. The lack of vegetation makes them more visible compared to the dense grass and acacia shrubs seen during good years. When you do spot an animal, take note of its lean appearance and look for the life-saving piles of supplementary feed being provided such as lucerne, pelleted bush-fodder, salts and phosphate mixed licks.
These animals are among the lucky ones likely to survive until next year. Rest assured, Okonjima will always do its best to care for the animals under its responsibility.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “The only constant is change,” likening life to a river where, although the river remains, the water within it is constantly changing. This idea can also apply to the world’s environments: summer changes to winter, wet seasons give way to dry, and life continues. At least, it did until the arrival of the Anthropocene. Now, humanity, in all its wisdom, is influencing life and the planet to such an extent that the violently changing water may be eroding the river’s banks, potentially destroying the very form of the river itself.
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