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Himba and drought

The Himba region is economically isolated. During periods of drought, people have little or no access to aid or support, making food shortages and malnutrition serious problems. This is exacerbated in these areas by the limited infrastructure and lack of access to health care and humanitarian aid.
The Himba are known for their strong attachment to their traditional way of life, which revolves mainly around livestock. Livestock is not only a source of food, but also an important symbol of wealth and social status within their community. Cattle and goats provide them with milk, meat, and sometimes blood, which is an important part of their diet. During times of drought, many of these animals die from a lack of grass and water. This loss has major consequences for food security and economic stability. Without livestock, they lose an important source of food and become more vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. Water is scarce in the Himba region, even under normal circumstances. During times of extreme drought, it becomes almost impossible to find sufficient water for both people and animals. Himba women often walk long distances to fetch water, and in times of drought they have to walk even further. This leads to exhaustion and health problems.

The Himba are semi-nomadic, meaning they regularly move with their livestock in search of better grazing lands and water. Increasing droughts disrupt these migration patterns, as traditional water sources dry up and fertile areas become scarce. This forces them to travel greater distances, making their lives physically more difficult and uncertain.

The frequency and intensity of droughts in Namibia have increased in recent decades, partly due to climate change. Long-term droughts are becoming increasingly common. This makes it difficult to maintain the traditional Himba lifestyle. In some cases, they are forced to abandon the nomadic way of life and move to more permanent settlements, where they become more dependent on food aid or other external interventions.

Why is it drier now than before?

The drought in northern Namibia, including the region where the Himba live, has become more severe in recent years. This can be attributed to several factors, both natural and man-made:

Climate change
This has an impact on weather patterns worldwide. Southern Africa is one of the regions that is vulnerable to the effects. Global warming is causing temperatures to rise, leading to evaporation of available moisture and less precipitation. This causes seasonal rains to become more irregular and sometimes even fail to occur. Trade winds, which normally bring moist air to the region, may be less active due to global climate shifts. This leads to less rainfall in certain years.

El Niño
This is a climatic phenomenon that affects ocean and atmospheric conditions in the Pacific Ocean. It also has an effect on weather patterns in Africa. During an El Niño year, some parts of Southern Africa, including Namibia, receive less rain than normal. This results in longer periods of drought.

Decreased rainfall and irregular seasons
Northern Namibia is located in a semi-arid climate, which means that rainfall is limited anyway. However, in recent years there has been a noticeable decrease in the amount of rain that falls during the rainy season. Rains are often late, irregular or too short to support agriculture and livestock farming in the region. In summary, the drought in northern Namibia is mainly caused by the combination of natural weather patterns, such as El Niño and climate change, combined with local factors such as land degradation and increasing demand for water. This makes the situation more serious than in previous years.

 
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