- President Boko leads govt collaborative response
- El Nino likely to impact water, food security at household levels
BAKANG TIRO
With El Nino looming large, government has moved to step up preparedness measures to ensure that the country doesn’t get affected in a manner that will severely cripple the economy that is already ailing, Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Matshidiso Bokole has revealed on Friday.
Addressing the media to give an update on Botswana’s preparedness, Bokole said El Nino is expected to negatively impact the country but it is important for the country to be on high alert. She said as part of preparedness, a Presidential task force led by President Duma Boko and assisted by Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe has been constituted to oversee El Nino at national highest level.
Bokole revealed that as the PSP, she will coordinate the cabinet task force assisted by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Vice President, Dr Gape Kaboyakgosi to complement the Presidential task force. According to Bokole, El Nino requires a mutli-disciplinary approach to suppress severity that could be brough by the storm in Botswana. “Botswana is on high alert. We have to step up preparedness level. We are also devising the response measures so that should it really get hard as it we could anticipate, then we must have what we can do to mitigate the impacts. El Nino poses a serious threat,” said Bokokole.
She regretted that the economy has not recovered strongly post the Covid19 pandemic, hence extra caution is necessary against El Nino. “The Covid19 pandemic after effects have stretched to current macroeconomic headwinds emanating from the slow diamonds performance and the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. With El Nino coming, we are worried about economy and we are on alert,” said Bokole.
Deputy Permanent Secretary for Water and Sanitation in the Ministry of Water and Human Settlement, Nchidzi Mmolawa cautioned that Botswana face potential experience of hydrological drought. He said Botswana experienced the hydrological drought in 2015 where the country grappled with supply as major dams dried up due to insufficient rains.
According to Mmolawa, Botswana normally endure the hydrological drought after every 10 years but it wasn’t the case last year as the country received sufficient rains resulting in floods too.
“Extreme hot temperatures are expected under El Nino. This could have impact on water levels in major dams such as Gaborone, Dikgatlhong and Bokaa etc. We are closely monitoring our water levels and currently, we can supply the nation for 12 months if there are no rains but El Nino is a threat,” he said.
Mmolawa also said crop production depending on irrigation could be severely impacted and national food security faces potential threat from El Nino.
Red Cross
Meanwhile, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Botswana, Dr Kutlwano Mukokomani said El Nino prediction show devastating humanitarian crisis at national and household level.
Dr Mokokomani applauded government for taking collaborative approach that include the business and NGOs community noting that it could assist the country to strongly mitigate against El Nino ravage. He said Red Cross priority response is targeted in nature by focusing on vulnerable people in the community such as pregnant women, elderly and People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs). He added that Red Cross already have in place some pre relief materials to be distributed to areas where El Nino effects are anticipated to be severe.