Himba and drought
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.
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.