'Maybe God is angry': Science, religion and tradition at forefront of climate change response :: Mmegi Online

When farmers in many parts of southern Africa decide to plant their crops each year, they rely on generations of learned knowledge about seasons and the weather. Or they'll wait for the go-ahead from a traditional leader. Or they may believe that their fate lies in the hands of God. How, then, do extension officers work with local communities to spread the word about the latest seasonal forecasts, as temperatures across the region rise, rains are less predictable, and the seasons no longer arrive when they should? Farmers’ stories from Namibia and Botswana give some insights, writes LEONIE JOUBERT*

When the drought first swept the northern Namibian region of Omusati in 2013, people were going hungry, and it hit their livestock herds, too. France Tjilondelo’s (not his real name) says there wasn’t enough food for the family’s small herds of cattle and goats in that first year of drought.

Two years later, when agricultural extension officers were warning them to sell their animals because the drought still wasn’t about to break, some farmers preferred to wait on God, than rely on scientific forecasts. But since these animals are an important form of savings, not selling could put their investments at risk of starvation.

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