ZAMBIANS SHOULD MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF DROUGHTS

DROUGHTS affect the environment in many different ways and when they occur food supply can decline and the surroundings can be impaired.

They equally affect plants and animals that depend on water, just like people.

The causes of droughts in most regions are many and they include a long-drawn-out period without rains and the quantity of water vapour in the atmosphere which influences the precipitation of an area.

There are four types of droughts namely the meteorological hydrological, agricultural, and socioeconomic droughts, but all with ugly outcomes.

But perhaps it is the meteorological drought which Zambia has often experienced and its immediate consequence of a fall in crop production, due to inadequate and poorly distributed rains.

This is because low rainfall causes poor grassland growth and may also lead to a waning in fodder supplies from crop residues.

Apart from that, the effects of drought play a large role in the water supply to communities as well as damage to crops and other vegetation.

Drought can have many overwhelming effects on communities and the surrounding environment.

It is  an established fact too that global warming induces drying which affects major food producing regions in Zambia as increased precipitation moves towards the poles.

Drought affects our lives in many different ways because water is such an essential part of so many of our activities.

People need water to live, and animals and plants do too. We need water to grow the food we eat.

Water is also used for many different things in our lives, like washing dishes, cooking, bathing, and swimming or river rafting.

It is also used to help make the electricity we use to run the lights in our houses and the video games you may like to play.

When we don’t have enough water for these activities because of a drought, many people and many different things will be affected in many different ways.

So the falling underground water levels that have forced our Lusaka Water Sewerage Company (LWSC) to start rationing water supply in some selected parts of the city, is well understood.

LWSC managing director Mr Jonathan Kampata says that the move his company has taken is because of poor rains that Zambia experienced this year which has created challenges in pumping underground water.

Mr Kampata says LWSC will therefore engage its customers to educate them on how to consume water efficiently.

“We will be engaging our customers to educate them on water efficiency consumption. This programme will also try to discourage customers from watering lawns during the day so that we preserve underground water,” he says. 

Mr Kampata says LWSC has already reduced pumping hours at National Resources Development College (NRDC), and areas around Mulungushi Village due to falling underground water levels.

He says loading shedding that ZESCO has introduced is also affecting them as they cannot effectively pump water.

Mr Kampata has however assured its customers of steady water supply as it was working hand in hand with ZESCO to ensure provisions are not disrupted.

We must all rise in the face of droughts because of social and economic impact they have on communities and try to minimalize their effects.

Zambians should fully apprehend that dry conditions and lack of precipitation can damage or kill crops, negatively impacting farmers’ income.

There is also no denying that crop loss due to droughts also impacts consumers through increased food prices and the economic impacts of drought can today be easily felt in all provinces of Zambia.