THE Western Cape Government remains concerned about the continued and future risk of drought in the province, according to a press release issued by the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.
Despite recent relief in large parts of the province, where good rainfall has seen dam levels improve, some areas of the Western Cape remains in the throes of a severe drought. These are primarily in the Karoo regions and more widespread in the agricultural sector of the province.
The Western Cape Minister of Environmental Affairs and Development Planing, Anton Bredell, on 17 June – which is globally known as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought – urged citizens to be mindful of how drought and desertification could further damage and degrade the environment.
According to the UN, environmental desertification is the persistent degradation of dryland ecosystems by human activities – including unsustainable farming, mining, overgrazing and clear-cutting of land – and by climate change.
Wind and water erosion aggravate this damage, carrying away valuable topsoil and leaving behind a highly infertile mix of dust and sand.
A combination of these factors transforms degraded land into desert.
“Even though we are grateful for the recent rains that have positively impacted our dams, and look forward to more wet months over the winter – these rains can cause flooding in some areas due to the current state or degradation of land, caused by the severe drought we suffered over the past years.
“I’d like to encourage citizens to help play their part by planting trees, enriching the soil, and continue to save water and implement various water management tactics such as rain water harvesting and reuse of treated water for watering plants, flushing toilets, etc,” said Bredell.
• The UN has identified desertification as a global issue, with serious implications worldwide for biodiversity, eco- safety, poverty eradication, socio-econo- mic stability and sustainable development.
