The El Nino-induced drought that hit southern Africa in 2015 scorched grazing lands and hit crop output.
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa, one of the 30 most water-scarce countries in the world, has revoked its classification of drought as a national disaster, drawing criticism from the agricultural sector.
Agricultural lobby group Agri SA said the decision by the government - where finances are tight due to a rising national debt - to drop the drought declaration “boggles the mind” and asked to see the research and data that led to its repeal. The decision was taken after the government reassessed the magnitude and severity of the drought conditions after the expiry of the national state of disaster on 4 July, the head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Mmaphaka Tau, said in a government gazette notice on Thursday.
Tau urged all stakeholders to work together with government in implementing drought-resilience and climate-change adaptation measures - such as water conservation steps and drought-resistant crops - to reduce the impact of low rainfall.
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