Botswana To Experience Good Rains

Baboki Kayawe | Monday August 28, 2017 16:48

While meteorological experts foresee a mixed rainfall forecast for the western half of Botswana; set to receive normal to below normal from October 2016 to January 2018, the situation is expected to change in the remaining months of the raining season.

From the period December, January, and February, the area will receive normal to above normal rains catching up with the eastern half, which is expected to have normal to above normal throughout the 2017/2018 raining season.

According to the forecast, there is a 40% chance of the western part having normal rains for the period December, January and February, while chances for above normal rains stand at 35%.

Moreover, the period January, February and March will have normal to above normal rains as well throughout the whole country.

This information was released following a three-day regional seasonal forecast session for the period 2017/2018 by the Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF), culminating into the October 2017 to March 2018 rainfall forecast for the SADC region. 

“The bulk of SADC is likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall for the most of the period October to December, and normal to above normal rainfall for January to March 2018,” reads the statement from the forum.

However, northernmost Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Tanzania, the islands states, eastern-most Madagascar and south-eastern contiguous SADC region are likely to receive normal to above normal rainfall throughout the 2017/2018 rainy season.

The forum has emphasised the need for stakeholder consultation and collaboration between national meteorological departments, and disaster management agencies in the interpretation of the forecast.

Moreover, the need for activation of relevant regional and national early warning systems as well as inclusion of cross border collaboration for transboundary hazards. In addition, climate experts have been urged to cascade this information to all the other sectors including agriculture, energy, water, and forestry as well as to help them plan better in their respective sectors.

Head of resilience hub from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Dr Lewis Hove appealed for climate smart agricultural approaches such as conservation agriculture to ensure the region adapts to extreme climatic conditions as well to achieve food security.