Drought in South Africa
Calls for Concern.
By : Bonolo Mokwele Meso
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| Taps run dry due to water shortages . |
In this blog one has selected three online articles that pertain to environmental issues that have been recently reported in the media, namely the current drought South Africans are grappling with. From the aforementioned one will discuss these articles in light with Grant and Lawhon (2014 : 43) and Holm, P et al . (2015 : 977). In this blog one will seek to provide solutions on how fellow South Africans and the Government could possibly deal with the effects of the drought. Furthermore shedding light on the importance/ awareness of the pressing environmental concerns facing South Africa and Africa at large.
Article 1 : South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015
Who and What are the driving forces ?
" A drought may be defined as a period of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged shortages of water in its water supply weather atmospheric , surface or ground water." Thus having dire ramifications on the affected regions.
The driving force behind South Africa's current devastating climate challenge is said to be caused by the El Nino weather phenomena, one of the worst in fifty years. According to the United Nations " El Nino is the name given to a weather pattern associated with a sustained period of warming in the central and eastern tropical pacific which can spark deadly and costly climate extremes in parts of the world."
The driving force behind South Africa's current devastating climate challenge is said to be caused by the El Nino weather phenomena, one of the worst in fifty years. According to the United Nations " El Nino is the name given to a weather pattern associated with a sustained period of warming in the central and eastern tropical pacific which can spark deadly and costly climate extremes in parts of the world."
What is happening ?
The government has recently declared five of South Africa's nine provinces as drought disaster areas for agriculture , Kwazulu- Natal , Bloemfontein and Limpopo being main areas for concern.
Despite the recent rainfalls, the ground is still too dry to plant and harvest anything. Many farmers are finding it laborious having to find food and water for their live stock. Some farmers have also been lead to sell as many of their live stock to avoid further losses , as there is an insufficient amount of cattle fodder to last through the winter months ahead and with that said farmers bear the harsh economic misfortune. Farmers are also expected to loose their businesses if the drought conditions worsen. Other ramifications of the drought have led South Africa to now start importing maize and other types of food, as a result of that food prices have been ever increasing.
(South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015).
In the article South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015 , here the BBC team are exposed to the harsh realities of the South African farmer. "In the middle of what used to be a watering hole, a black calf whose name is Kgantsho a Sotho name which means "the black one", is trapped in thick clay, too weak to pull itself out.It's only a matter of time before it dies from dehydration and hunger. Kgantsho had been missing for two days.His owner, Thuso Kalane wanted to show the [BBC team ] where he found the carcasses of six of his cows last month, only to find yet another one close to death.There was no time to waste. More manpower was needed. So the BBC team had to put their cameras and notebooks down to assist with the rescue."
Despite the recent rainfalls, the ground is still too dry to plant and harvest anything. Many farmers are finding it laborious having to find food and water for their live stock. Some farmers have also been lead to sell as many of their live stock to avoid further losses , as there is an insufficient amount of cattle fodder to last through the winter months ahead and with that said farmers bear the harsh economic misfortune. Farmers are also expected to loose their businesses if the drought conditions worsen. Other ramifications of the drought have led South Africa to now start importing maize and other types of food, as a result of that food prices have been ever increasing.
In the article South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015 , here the BBC team are exposed to the harsh realities of the South African farmer. "In the middle of what used to be a watering hole, a black calf whose name is Kgantsho a Sotho name which means "the black one", is trapped in thick clay, too weak to pull itself out.It's only a matter of time before it dies from dehydration and hunger. Kgantsho had been missing for two days.His owner, Thuso Kalane wanted to show the [BBC team ] where he found the carcasses of six of his cows last month, only to find yet another one close to death.There was no time to waste. More manpower was needed. So the BBC team had to put their cameras and notebooks down to assist with the rescue."
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| Farmer Thuso Kalane Image from : South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015 |
What can be done ?
South Africans need to first of all be conscientious about the the harsh climate change affecting their lives and day to day living, because once you are conscious about your surroundings and what's happening around you its always easier to adapt and change with the circumstances. For instance the reasonable human being will exert extra caution when using water when brushing their teeth , fixing leaking pipes in their homes,and regarding the rule of law set out by municipal by laws in terms of the savoring of water. With regards to the farmers more fodder can be provided by the government.
How?
South African Residents have been advised to use water sparingly as there is no certainty on when the rains will fall and if they do whether the dam levels will increase. The Government has also made an appeal that residents water their gardens during the off peak hours , the government has also devoted itself with helping farmers by setting aside R300.000000 so that the farming industry does not completely dry out .
(South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015).
Means ?
As previously mentioned the government will set aside R300.000000 to help the farming industry.
People need to adhere to the rule of law set out by the government, failure to do so will result in harsh penalties/ fines.
(South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015).
Article 2 : Africa ; South Africa in midst of ' Epic Drought' 2015
Who and what are the driving forces?
South Africa is experiencing its worst drought since 1982 , with more than 2.7 million households facing water shortages across the country . An abnormal heat weave has resulted in the increase of evaporation rates, this heat weave is in turn the effects of the El Nino weather patterns. ( Africa ; South Africa in midst of ' Epic Drought' 2015 ).
Lennox Mabaso
The spokesperson for the department of local government in KwaZulu-Natal , in this article told Al Jazeera that the drought concentrated in provinces of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal , were beginning to seriously impact on livelihoods and drastically draining the economy. it should also be noted that as more and more people migrate into cities from the rural villages the pressures for the city to meet the water demands is ever increasing. Such factors need to be considered as other driving forces that lead to water scarcity in South Africa.
What is happening ?
Means ?
The dams are currently at an all time low. " This is an epic drought" . There is a special team which constitute of ministers and environmental expects who have been tasked with helping the country with dealing/ over coming the effects of El Nino. Mabaso says due to the severity of this drought the government is doing the best it can do , it requires a lot of resources and it is impacting everyone rich and poor.
"The concern now is about the next crop. It's the optimum time to plant but its still too dry and with the failure earlier in the year, farmers are under further strain," Sihlobo said.
Meanwhile, residents of a South African coastal town hard hit by dwindling rainfall said their drinking water was contaminated with sea water.
Citizens of Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal province lined up with buckets for fresh water distributed by officials as the drought increased the salt content of rivers, the South Coast Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Mabaso admitted that a part of the town's water had been contaminated, but said the issue had been blown out of proportion.
"It appears that sea water had encroached the dam that was close to the sea and the water has been contaminated, it affects one community in Port Shepstone and our scientists are working on it," Mabaso said.
"Earlier in the week, Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane said in a press release that the South African government was drawing water from neighbouring Lesotho to augment the country's resources, especially in Gauteng, the economic hub of the country."
( Africa ; South Africa in midst of ' Epic Drought' 2015 ).
What can be done ?
South Africa's Capital City has already started implementing water restriction programs . In order to deal with the impact of the heat weave, mandatory restrictions such as borehole drilling , water tinkering and water conservation workshops can be implemented.
How?
"People have always thought that South Africa is a water secure country. But people need to respect water and use it sparingly. The times have changed," Lennox Mabaso, spokesperson for the department of local government in KwaZulu-Natal, said.
( Africa ; South Africa in midst of ' Epic Drought' 2015 .
The government has allocated a sum of R26.oooooo to the KwaZulu-Natal province in a bid to migrate the impact of the drought and consumers are likely to see food prices elevated for some time to come.
( Africa ; South Africa in midst of ' Epic Drought' 2015 .
Article 3 : Water the new Gold ( Hosken, Smillie and Goba 2015)
Who and What are the driving forces ?
What is happening ?
Due to the devastating plight of the drought,more than 650.000 people face hunger in Lesotho , this is the worst drought in decades. Struggling from two successive crop failures, the Kingdom has been led to a state of crisis by the El Nino weather phenomenon which has significantly reduced rainfall in the Southern Hemisphere. The situation in Lesotho has worsened especially because their water is distributed to South Africa.
(Hosken et al 2015)
The Lesotho Highlands water Project cannot meet the demands from its neighbor South Africa, this is due to the drought that is ravaging Southern Africa, the drought has hit Lesotho so hard it has dried up most of the rivers in the Berea district an other parts of the country.
(Hosken et al 2015)
What can be done/ How ?
Agathe Maupin, a senior researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said in this article that "although bilateral agreements ensured that the Lesotho Highlands Water Project could not be unilaterally "turned off", South Africa should be aware of the situation it faced.
"The measures that we have seen to date to get water from Lesotho into drought stricken areas, especially the Free State and Eastern Cape, are emergency measures. They are not sustainable.She said there must be a change in South Africa's consumption of water, especially in cities such as Johannesburg.
She said there had to be great improvement in the maintenance of water-supply infrastructure. The country loses 30% of its water through leaking and broken pipes."
An Environmental Analysis of the Articles
The drivers of change in the aforementioned articles relate to the "Great Acceleration" which refers to ; " human technologies , powers and consumption in the last [seventy] years that has operated as a key driver of Global Change. These human advances have over the years come come with an alteration of the planet's carbon and nitrogen cycles , rapidly raising species extinction rates , and the generation of atmospheric green house gases , which in turn are catalysts for adverse weather patterns and increase ocean acidification , the consequences of which will condition life on the planet for centuries to come." ( Holm 2015:980). The rapid climate change has had dire effects on the weather pattern even more so on the rainfall patterns. One can argue that these changes in rainfall patterns pertain to the "Great Acceleration". The political and social factors in the article "Water the new Gold" have forced people to confront the 'Great Acceleration' , the political factor has challenged the government to set a side a recovery drought budget to providing water for its citizens and in so doing it has to converse with neighboring countries, depriving those countries of their own water. Furthermore , a country like Lesotho provides water to South Africa so that it can also duly benefit in terms of food supply , and other economically related benefits. The social factor remains simple , water is life and all living organisms need water to survive. But , as the drought conditions continue to worsen dams such as the Mohale and Katse dams in Lesotho are becoming emptier which is extremely concerning as these dams are the main supply of water to the Gauteng province. (Hosken et al 2015) There are measures that have been put in place to help South Africans grapple with the harsh effects of the drought as seen in the article ( Africa ; South Africa in midst of ' Epic Drought' 2015 ). It can be said that these measures relate to "The New Human Condition " , which refers to how we choose to identify , respond to and cope with consequences and responsibilities of environmental concerns. Do we respond in denial, despair , alarmism or action? ( Holm 2015:983).Government has taken full responsibility for the water crisis in South Africa , the proposed measures are strategic action plans on how to solve the current water crisis. The proposed solutions include things like water-shedding, borehole drilling , water tinkering and water conservation. The government may engage the corporate sector if it affects the generation of power through using water which is produced by the Company Eskom. (Hosken et al 2015) . These proposed measures can be easily accomplished by the ordinary citizen. Just like we had
an electricity load shedding schedule the government should provide residents
with a water shedding schedule, this as a result will make for a temporary
discomfort but will help the country on a bigger scale. Residents are urged to
water their gardens during a specified period and also ensure broken pipes are
fixed in their homes as that is also one of the biggest reasons South Africa has
a water crisis. The government will also provide farmers with money and fodder
for their live stock to assist with the harsh effects of the drought.
(South Africa grapples with the worst drought in 30 years 2015). Other possible
Solutions stated in the article can be implemented only if the citizens of South
Africa work hand in hand with the government and adhere to the rule of law set out by the government. These measures are practical if implemented properly .
In Conclusion
Solutions stated in the article can be implemented only if the citizens of South
Africa work hand in hand with the government and adhere to the rule of law set out by the government. These measures are practical if implemented properly .
In Conclusion
South Africans need to be conscientious about the the harsh climate change affecting their lives and day to day living, because once you
are conscious about your surroundings and what's happening around you its always easier to adapt and change with the circumstances. For instance the reasonable human being will exert extra caution when using water when brushing their teeth , fixing leaking pipes in their homes,and regarding the rule of law set out by municipal by laws in terms of the savoring of water. The social factor remains simple , water is life and all living organisms need water to survive.
Word count 1800
Sources consulted
are conscious about your surroundings and what's happening around you its always easier to adapt and change with the circumstances. For instance the reasonable human being will exert extra caution when using water when brushing their teeth , fixing leaking pipes in their homes,and regarding the rule of law set out by municipal by laws in terms of the savoring of water. The social factor remains simple , water is life and all living organisms need water to survive.
Word count 1800
Sources consulted
Goba,N, Hosken, G & Smillie , S . 2016. Water the new gold.[O] . Available: http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2016/01/25Water-the-new-gold
Accessed 01 April 2016
Africa: South Africa in midst of ' Epic Drought'. Available :allafrica.com/stories /201511041432.html
Accessed 01 April 2016
South Africa grapples with the worst grought in 30 years.2015.[O]. Available: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34884135
Accessed 01 April 2016
Grant, S & Lawhon , M. 2014. Reporting on rhinos : analysis of the newspaper coverage of rhino poaching . Southern African Journal of Environmental Education 30: 39 -52 .
Holm , P et al . 2015 Humanities for the Environment - A manifesto for research and action. Humanities 4: 977-992.
Grant, S & Lawhon , M. 2014. Reporting on rhinos : analysis of the newspaper coverage of rhino poaching . Southern African Journal of Environmental Education 30: 39 -52 .
Holm , P et al . 2015 Humanities for the Environment - A manifesto for research and action. Humanities 4: 977-992.
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