Drought

Drought in Swaziland

The Swaziland Government has declared a national emergency for the current drought situation, primarily caused by the cyclical weather phenomenon, El Nino.

The Prime Minister when announcing the emergency said: "At the present time, we count the loss of around 40,000 head of cattle, and have to report a serious food and water vulnerability currently experienced by approximately 300,000 of our people, which is around 25% of the population. There has been a huge negative impact on business, and agriculture, with one of our biggest employers having to reduce irrigation down to 20% of the optimum level.

The drought has also led to hydropower generation being suspended – a measure that is giving rise to load shedding - intermittent power cuts.

Snow Drought - Greenland

An unusually warm and snow-free winter in parts of Greenland has forced organizers of the Arctic Winter Games 2016 to bring truckloads of snow to the venue in the country’s capital and largest city, Nuuk. The mild winter forced adjustments to some events, which draw athletes from Canada, Russia, the United States, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Greenland.