BLOG
February 3rd, 2016
Via Future Directions International, a report on Ethiopia’s drought:
Despite high economic growth of approximately ten per cent a year, Ethiopia is still highly vulnerable to food and water insecurity. Seasonal rains between June and September failed in 2015, leading to severe water shortages and widespread drought. An estimated four hundred thousand children are currently at risk of severe malnutrition while ten million people require immediate food assistance. It is expected that conditions will continue to worsen over the coming months as the dry season begins. The Ethiopian Government and humanitarian aid agencies have issued a joint document detailing the need for US$1.4 billion $2.03 billion) to address the crisis.
Comment
Ethiopia, the “Water Tower of Africa” and one of its fastest growing economies, is facing its worst drought in fifty years. Ethiopia is an agrarian country and is dependent on rain water for 90 per cent of agricultural water use. Failed Belg (the short rainy season) rains between March and April 2015 and erratic rainfall during the Kermit (the long rainy season) led to consecutive harvest failures and extensive death of livestock. Those most affected reside in rural areas that are heavily dependent on agriculture. The drought conditions were exacerbated by the El Niño weather pattern and it is predicted that conditions will continue to worsen in the coming months of the dry season, leading to increased need for food and water assistance.
An estimated 5.8 million people are in need of access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities, raising fears of disease outbreaks and risks to life. Agricultural assistance will be required for two million people, some of whom saw crop losses ranging between 50 and 90 per cent, while an estimated 10.1 million require food assistance. It is estimated that $1.4 billion will be required to address the growing crisis.
The Ethiopian Government, in partnership with 66 humanitarian organisations, plans to focus efforts on food, nutrition, health and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) interventions in the regions identified as the most affected. Similarly, agricultural areas targeted for assistance include those where crops and livestock are most affected and are most threated with food security. The Ethiopian Government has accepted that it is unable to protect all livelihoods affected by the current drought, despite providing millions of dollars in funding. This situation demonstrates the urgent need to develop effective long-term preventative solutions to protect livelihoods in case of similar crises in the future.
Ethiopia has 2.9 billion cubic metres of underground water, which is capable of irrigating 3.8 million hectares of land. These groundwater reserves are recharged at an approximate rate of 36 billion cubic metres per year through precipitation. Huge potential exists to harvest rainfall during the Kermit season to supply water for irrigation and drinking during the dry season. As most of those affected by the drought are small-hold farmers in rural areas, efforts need to focus on optimising current local rainwater harvesting technologies and investing in new technologies, while strengthening the capacity of farmers to use water resources sustainably through extensive training. Greater dialogue between small-hold farmers and government representatives will be vital in ensuring any strategies to prevent future crises are successful.