Table of Contents
- 1 How does drought lead to the decline in food production?
- 2 How does drought affect food security and food production in South Africa?
- 3 How does drought affect agricultural production?
- 4 What are the effects of drought in Africa?
- 5 How has drought affected South Africa?
- 6 What are the causes and effects of drought in South Africa?
- 7 What is the impact of the drought on South Africa’s agriculture?
- 8 How will the Western Cape drought affect food security?
How does drought lead to the decline in food production?
Drought also affects the environment in many different ways. Plants and animals depend on water, just like people. When a drought occurs, their food supply can shrink and their habitat can be damaged. Sometimes the damage is only temporary and their habitat and food supply return to normal when the drought is over.
How does drought affect food security and food production in South Africa?
Drought leads to crop failure and creates food insecurity. In 2007, a severe drought in Lesotho and South Africa drastically reduced crop yields and increased food prices. A recent study published in Scientific Reports shows that this was worsened due to climate change fuelled by human activity.
How does drought affect farming in South Africa?
The impact of lower rainfall has negative effects on the agricultural sector, resulting in decrease in agricultural activities, loss of livestock, shortage of drinking water, low yields and shortage of seeds for subsequent cultivation in the district. The lowest average annual rainfall recorded was 438 mm in 1992.
How does drought affect food production in Cape Town?
The drought has led to job losses in the province’s agriculture sector. The 2017 third quarterly labour force survey showed that approximately 25,000 jobs were lost from the agricultural sector nationally. More than 20 000 of these were lost in the Western Cape province.
How does drought affect agricultural production?
The primary direct economic impact of drought in the agricultural sector is crop failure and pasture losses. Indirect impacts of drought in the sector can include reduced supplies to downstream industries, such as food processors, and reduced demand for inputs, such as fertilizer and farm labor.
What are the effects of drought in Africa?
The effects of drought are exacerbated by conflict in the region and can lead to repeated displacement, deaths, increased vulnerability to harmful practices like FGM, loss of education, increased exposure to risks such as recruitment into the armed groups, etc.
How does drought affect food prices?
Droughts result in smaller harvests and therefore higher prices. This is bad for the poor, especially in the case of white maize where it is difficult to source imports.
How does drought influence agricultural production?
Drought has direct and negative impacts agricultural production. Severe droughts in rainfed areas have reduced agricultural production by 20 to 40 per cent. It is no wonder then that farmers in rainfed areas are abandoning farming as a livelihood source (see ‘Farmers have decreased, farm labourers have increased’ ).
How has drought affected South Africa?
Additional impacts of the drought are death of livestock and poor crop yields due to poor or no rainfall making water unavailable for irrigation. The impact of the drought in South Africa has been most strongly felt in increased food prices.
What are the causes and effects of drought in South Africa?
Drought in South Africa caused by El Niño, human action and climate change. The present drought in Cape Town has been caused by extremely poor rainfall in recent months, with the result that the water supplies are under enormous pressure.
How does drought affect food shortage?
One of the reasons for undernourishment and hunger is drought, which reduces agricultural production leading to food insecurity situation. In half of the years of the twenty-first century, drought was the main cause of shortage in world grain production compared to its consumption, creating problem with food security.
What are the effects of drought in South Africa?
Macroeconomic impacts
| Primary impacts | Secondary impacts |
|---|---|
| Increased pollutant concentrations | Public health risks |
| Inequitable drought relief | Social unrest, distrust |
| Increased forest and range fires | Increased threat to human and animal life |
| Increased urbanization | Social pressure, reduced safety |
What is the impact of the drought on South Africa’s agriculture?
South Africa, the region’s largest food producer, has been particularly affected by the dry conditions. It typically exports surplus food to neighbouring countries but, due to decreased production, it is not able to do so this year.
How will the Western Cape drought affect food security?
Western Cape drought could affect food security. The prolonged drought in the Western Cape is set to reduce food production and could increase food prices nationally. “We expect a significant reduction in food production,” says Carl Opperman, Chief Executive Officer of Agri Western Cape.
Why is South Africa’s fruit production declining?
Production for 2016 is estimated to decline by 7.5 million cartons compared with the previous season. According to an article published by SABC in March 2016, current drought conditions are of concern to farmers in the Witzenberg Valley area, which is usually rich in deciduous fruit and winter rain.
How many South Africans are at risk of food deprivation?
In 2014, according to the World Food Programme, 14 million South Africans experienced some form of deprivation, including, but not limited to, food insecurity. As the impact of the drought continues to unfold, 49 million across Southern Africa are now estimated to be at increased risk of food deprivation.