Parts of Namibia still awaiting first rain

Dr. Cornelis van der Waal – While large parts of South Africa and Botswana had exceptional rains and even floods, large parts of Namibia is still waiting for the first substantial rains. Nevertheless, large parts of the eastern and north-eastern Namibia are currently green or in a process of greening up. The Kunene, Omusati and Oshana regions are currently below-average. Currently plant growth is above average in the eastern and north-eastern parts of Namibia. The Kunene, Omusati and Oshana regions, eastern part of the Erongo region, and west of Otjiwarongo are currently seeing below-average plant growth. The worst-affected area is in the northeast of the Kunene region, where plant growth is currently far below average. These maps should be interpreted as a traffic light. If an area remains red as the season progresses, “red lights” should start coming on in terms of the possibility of having a situation where forage production is below-average. If, however, an area is mostly green for the entire season, the "green light" means above-average forage production is most likely. Different scenarios can also develop, e.g. where a season starts red and ends green and vice versa.WHY MONITORING? Livestock production in Namibia is almost entirely dependent on the productivity of its rangelands, which may plummet to near zero during severe droughts. Rainfall variability results in severe management challenges for livestock farmers who need to balance animal forage requirements with the forage produced, as well as preventing land degradation.This information can reveal which parts of the country are likely to be most affected by drought towards the end of the dry season, which allows sufficient time to plan drought relief efforts.HOW DOES IT WORK?The key component of the early warning system is based on freely available remote sensing technology that measures active vegetation growth across Namibia in near real-time. Comparing current vegetation activity patterns with the 10-year average for the same area during the same time of year provides an objective view of the rangeland status. Detailed maps that display this status are produced every ten days during the rainy season (October to end May) and are available on the www.namibiarangelands.com website.

Parts of Namibia still awaiting first rain

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Republikein 2025-05-05

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Parts of Namibia still awaiting first rain

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Republikein 2025-05-05

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