Namibia plans to cull hundreds of its most majestic wild animals, including dozens of elephants and hippopotamuses, to provide meat for its 1.4 million people nearly half the southern African nation’s population who are reeling under the worst drought in a century.
What is happening in Namibia?
-Namibia is located in drought-prone southern Africa, and frequently witnesses such events , it had declared national emergencies because of extreme droughts in 2013, 2016 and 2019. But the ongoing drought has been especially widespread and devastating.
-The drought began in Botswana in October 2023, spread and intensified across Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, and affects most of southern Africa today, according to a report by the European Commission.
-The situation is so bad mainly because of El Niño, a weather pattern associated with extreme heat and dry spells in many parts of the world and the ocean.
-With rising temperatures due to climate change, extreme weather events such as droughts and floods have become more frequent and intense.
-Food availability is usually low in Namibia from July through September, and the situation has been made worse by the drought. Staple crops such as maize have dried up, large numbers of livestock have died, and almost 84% of the country’s food reserves are exhausted.
-It is not just for meat that Namibia wants to cull wild animals. The government fears that the drought will force the animals to migrate in search of food and water, which could bring them into conflict with human populations.
– The country has a significant number of wild animals, including 24,000 elephants, one of the largest populations in the world.
About Namibia:
-Namibia is a Southern African nation with its western boundary formed by the Atlantic Ocean. It shares its northern borders with Angola and Zambia, while Botswana lies to its east and South Africa borders both its eastern and southern regions.
–Namibia, acknowledged as the driest nation in sub-Saharan Africa. It ranks among the least densely populated countries globally.
–The Namib, the Kalahari, the Succulent Karoo, and the Nama Karoo deserts are located in Namibia.
–Zambezi, Okavango and Kunene are important rivers in Namibia.
–Zambezi, Okavango and Kunene are important rivers in Namibia.
–Mountain: Brandberg, also known as Mount Brand is Namibia’s highest mountain and is located along the plateau’s western escarpment.