The Lowveld's worst drought in 33 years? Understanding the long-term impacts

Abstract

Drought The Lowveld’s worst drought in 33 years? Understanding the long-term impacts As severe drought unfolds across most parts of the country, reports on its impacts on urban and agricultural systems are regularly making their way into the mainstream media… rural villages without water, maize fields bare and unplanted, images of dead livestock… Impacts to natural areas – from protected areas to rural rangelands – have not received as much attention. But in these areas the long-term impact of the drought may turn out to have equally important repercussions for both people and nature in rural areas. The Lowveld region of South Africa is currently experiencing as severe a drought as any other part of the country, and provides a microcosm for recording and researching the impacts of the drought in many parts of southern Africa. Climatological data for Phalaborwa provides an example of the severity of the current drought. The 2014-15 rainfall year was one of the driest on record, with just 255 mm of rain recorded compared to the long-term average of 533 mm.

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