WW March - WATER AND AGRICULTURE

Abstract

Just over two years ago, on 29 February 2024, the President of Zambia declared a national disaster and emergency as much of the country was experiencing the worst drought since records began. Attributing the drought to El Niño conditions, he noted that a million hectares of the 2.2 million hectares of planted maize had been severely affected, impacting more than one million farming households. Likewise, the President of Malawi declared a state of disaster covering 23 of 28 districts in March 2024, and made another such declaration 18 months later, initially for 11 districts and then extended in November 2025 to the entire country. Projections had indicated that more than four million people faced acute food insecurity in the intervening months up to March 2026. La Niña then made its comeback, and the 2025–2026 rainy season brought devastating floods to parts of both countries in December and January. Fields of maize and other crops, such as rice and beans, were washed away or inundated, and the loss of fertile topsoil meant that future plantings would be compromised.

Categories