Southern Africa Drought Flashcards
Extreme environments & Climate Change
What year did the intense drought take place?
2024
How frequent are droughts now? How frequent did it used to be?
now: once every 3-4years, before: once every 5 years
How many people are at risk of hunger?
27M people
How many children are suffering from malnutrition?
What is considered a “hot day”
over 35C
How many hot days were there in 2000? How many are there predicted to be in 2080?
2000: 110 days / year
2080: 155 days / year
What fraction of the needed food donations did Zambia receive?
1/5
How are women resorting to to feed themselves and their children?
prostitution - selling sex to men who work at sugar plantations
What directly caused the drought?
El-nino dry spell, two months starting in January
What was the expected weather during the time of the El Nino?
Rain - Rainy season
What are 3 major consequences of the drought?
1) deepening of already widespread & high risk of chronic malnutrition
2) starvation
3) families being pulled apart
What is believed to be the overarching cause of the drought? What evidence do we have for this?
Change in rainfall & drought patterns
Which countries have declared “national disasters”?
Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi
What other countries are also badly affected?
Angola & Mozambique (total 7)
