NAIROBI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Greater Horn of Africa region could experience depressed rainfall in the October-December season amid the likelihood of a La Nina weather phenomenon, according to the latest prediction from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, released Monday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Based on data from nine global prediction models, there is a higher likelihood of drier conditions in many parts of a region that is benefiting from enhanced rainfall between April and July, according to officials and experts.
Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of IGAD, said rainfall patterns in the region have become erratic due to climate change, necessitating anticipatory actions, including the cultivation of fast-maturing crops.
According to the official, governments in the region should ramp up investments in climate resilience projects such as water harvesting and storage, early warning, and climate-smart agriculture to shield local communities from shocks including droughts, floods and wildfires.
The October-December rains contribute about 40 percent of annual rainfall in the Horn of Africa region, besides their crucial role in sustaining subsistence farming and pastoralism, noted Gebeyehu.
He disclosed that currently, 56.5 million people in the region are staring at acute food insecurity that requires humanitarian intervention, while 11 million children under the age of five are malnourished.
Gebeyehu suggested that for the Horn of Africa region to overcome shocks during the anticipated suppressed October-December rains, governments and humanitarian actors should come up with contingency plans, including stocking enough food rations, clean water and pasture.
John Elungata, head of administration at Kenya's State Department of Environment and Climate Change, noted that early preparedness will be key to helping the region cope with anticipated below-average rains, calling for investments in community-based resilience projects to minimize disruption of livelihoods in the event of a depressed October-December rainfall season.
Michael Aiyabei, regional manager at Red Cross Kenya, said that extreme weather events linked to climate change have become the norm in the region hence the need for key stakeholders to prioritize mitigation and adaptation measures targeting vulnerable members of society. ■
