- Latest
- Trending
PROLONGED dry spells, droughts, and erratic rainfall are becoming major climate change risks in rain fed agriculture in the Southern Africa region.
Like the rest of countries in the region, Zambia is vulnerable to current and future climate variability and change impacts.
In fact, extreme weather conditions such as severe dry spells are currently hitting hard on Zambia’s rain-fed farmland, posing serious threats to the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers.
Some provinces, including Eastern, Southern, Central, as well as parts of Western and Copperbelt are grappling with an extended dry spell, leaving many districts parched and posing a significant threat to the production of maize, the country’s principal food crop.
This is as a result of changes in the country’s climate. There is no doubt anymore that climate change is real and that our climate is not the same as it was years ago.
The dry conditions being experienced in Zambia, attributed to the El-Nino phenomenon, have persisted for a month, affecting not only agricultural productivity but also raising concerns about food security in the affected areas.
For instance, the World Bank Group projects that due to climate change, yields of key crops such as maize could decrease by 25 percent in 2050, depending on the agro ecological zone.
In acknowledging the sad development, Minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu issued a stark warning regarding the prolonged dry spell currently affecting Zambia, highlighting its potential detrimental effects on agriculture productivity, water availability, and power generation.
According to Mr. Nzovu, the extended period of reduced rainfall is expected to have significant repercussions on agricultural activities.
Addressing the National Assembly last week in a ministerial statement on the performance of the 2023-2024 rainfall season and the ongoing dry spell, Mr. Nzovu noted that the situation, observed since January 20, is likely to persist throughout February, particularly in the southern regions of the country.
Mr. Nzovu also urged farmers to closely monitor weather updates and adjust their farming practices accordingly.
Indeed, crops such as maize, soya beans, and other staples are particularly vulnerable, as they require adequate moisture during crucial growth stages. The dry conditions have led to water stress, wilting, and may lead to yield losses, ultimately impacting food security.
Because the majority of rural households depend on agriculture for survival, effects of prolonged dry spells are a serious adversary that they have to contend with.
Partially, this is because farmers have relied on their intuition, past experience and power of observation and perception to predict the weather. As a result, they experienced significant losses due to poor judgment and practicing unsustainable agricultural methods.
The inaccuracy of these methods has been further compounded by the now frequent and unpredictable changes in weather due to climate change.
Thus, a lot needs to be done as a country to mitigate against climate change and one of the major things is disseminating accurate information to the farmers on how best they can cope with these extreme conditions without worsening the situation.
One way of ensuring that dissemination of accurate information is delivered to the farmers is by strengthening climate hydro-meteorological information.
Failure to do so has many direct and indirect effects, with the most outstanding effects being reduced agricultural food production leading to acute hunger.
In tackling this challenge, the Zambian Government through the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) project has financed the installation of the 120 automated weather stations (AWS) in the country.
The TRALARD project, which is implemented by the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment with the financial support from the World Bank Group is aimed at helping modernize hydromet services in Zambia.
The objective is to create conditions at the national, provincial, district and community levels for the effective resilience of livelihoods and adaptation of vulnerable stakeholders to the impacts of climate and natural disasters.
The contract for the procurement and setup of 120 AWS was granted to Campbell Scientific Africa in November 2022, and so far, a total of 69 AWSs have been installed across Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka, Eastern, and Western Provinces.
Importance of Hydromet Services
Hydromet, a combination of hydrology and meteorology, offers real time weather, water and climate updates, early warning, and climate outlooks that can help communities predict and prepare for impending disasters and prepare for disaster risks.
They form the foundation for improved weather and climate services for all areas that drive the economy.
For example, in aviation, advanced weather forecasting offers vital information that pilots need.
Hydromet services also equip meteorologists, hydrologists, and disaster risk management experts with the data needed to predict, plan and prepare for disasters, so that people everywhere can be safer, more prepared and resilient.
They provide the data needed for weather forecasting and offer additional climate and weather-related services.
Therefore, the importance of hydromet services in farming must be considered as the world continues to deal with global warming, climate change and its devastating effect on global food production.
According to the Muchinga Province Agriculture Coordinator Victor Mulopa, the modern agricultural practice stems from the relationship between stable atmospheric conditions such as rainfall, sunshine, temperature, humidity, air, and bountiful yield.
Dr. Mulopa said climate and weather information play a crucial part before and after any cropping season.
“It provides a plethora of knowledge to the farmers about resource utilization and if it is given in advance, can boost productivity at farm place in multi-folds,” he said.
He also said that the use of improved early maturing and drought tolerant crop varieties is an effective adaptation strategy that minimizes the impact of yield loss.
“Early maturing varieties allow the farmer to utilize the shortening ‘rain fed’ growing season and also offer the possibility of multiple plantings in a season.
Drought tolerant varieties enable the crop to withstand the temporary reduction in moisture availability during the growing period thereby minimizing yield loss,” Dr. Mulopa said.
Thus, agro-meteorological advisories are the single window solutions for all the queries related to fluctuating weather conditions and management of crops according to that. It does not only help to stabilize the production but helps in resource utilization as well.
Its preemptive quality of empowering farmers with knowledge of an area’s climatic changes before they occur cannot be overemphasized.
Hydromet services helps a smallholder farmer to predict the weather and make informed decisions concerning his or her farm practices that make him or her a successful farmer, whether you deal in crops or livestock farming.
For example, weather hydromet services enables farmers to properly plan their farm operations, such as planting, irrigation, fertilizer application, pruning/weeding, harvesting or livestock mating, since farming and agriculture as a whole chiefly depend on seasons and weather.
In addition, the collection and distribution of local rainfall information is helping smallholder farmers adjust their crop production methods to changing seasonal precipitation patterns
Of course, previously, farmers relied on their intuition, past experience and power of observation and perception to predict the weather.
However, hydromet services today adds finesse to modern agricultural practice through the development of simple weather forecasting mechanisms for farmers enabling them to get weather updates through the community radio stations or through their smartphones.
Prior weather knowledge helps them make choices that minimize costs and maximize agricultural yields and profits. This way, they can, as farmers, reduce their vulnerability to extreme environmental impact.
Similarly, understanding the importance of weather forecasting is essential for driving agricultural production by influencing crop growth, development and yield, including pest and disease incidence, coordinating water and nutrient or fertilizer uptake, etc.
On the flip side, a farmer’s inability to predict the weather may destabilize plant and animal performance by causing physical damage, erosion, etc.
Although natural disasters are challenging to predict, hydromet services can help plan for impending disasters and prepare for risks.
It is therefore important for members of the public to pay particular attention to weather forecasting given by the Zambia Meteorological Department as they are aimed at helping communities to understand and use the information for decision making and risk preparedness.
They provide reliable, modern, and real-time weather, water, and climate information and services to everyone, supporting communities and countries towards meeting their climate resilience and economic development goals.
Copyright © Apple-Net Technologies.
