On-going African drought aggravates Africa extremes
Gregory September
Follow me for sustainability and geopolitics insights | Co-Founder and CEO of SAUP (Sustainability Awareness and Upliftment Projects NPC) | Published author of 3 books
On-going African drought plunged Zambia into daily blackouts as the hydroelectric dam was unable to run. The crisis is purported to be even more devastating to the economy than COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Extreme weather patterns, including prolonged droughts, make it clear that over-reliance on hydro is no longer sustainable,” according to Carlos Lopes, a professor at the Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Kariba is the largest man-made lake in the world by volume and lies 200 kilometres south of Zambia's capital Lusaka, on the border with Zimbabwe. In March 2024 Zambia?declared a state of emergency?over its prolonged drought. At the time President Hakainde Hichilema said the lack of water had destroyed about one million hectares of the 2.2 million hectares planted with the staple maize crop.
“This drought has devastating consequences on many sectors such as agriculture, water availability and energy supply, risking our national food security and the livelihoods of millions of our people," Hichilema explained.?
Hydroelectric power accounts for 17 per cent of Africa’s energy generation, but that figure is expected to rise to 23 per cent by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency.
Africa contributes the least to global warming but is the most vulnerable. The drought, food shortages and daily heat is devastating; countries can’t meet the high financial cost of adapting. Zambia depends on the Kariba for 80% of its hydroelectric power, but it is dry.?
Zambia is not alone in that hydroelectric power makes up over 80 per cent of the energy mix in Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda,?Ethiopia?and Congo, even as experts warn it will become more unreliable.
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Follow me for sustainability and geopolitics insights | Co-Founder and CEO of SAUP (Sustainability Awareness and Upliftment Projects NPC) | Published author of 3 books
4 个月Extreme weather have a negative impact on economic growth ?? We are at record-breaking warmth since 1850 ?? With the warmest Q1-Q3 on record!!! ?? ?? Leading to Vegetation changes ???? +and+ Major humanitarian impacts from flood and drought events globally. ??