EDITORIAL: Take drought warnings seriously and prepare

For almost three weeks now starting in earnest on March 4, Tropical Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and offshore Madagascar with a vengeance.

With gusting winds of up to 280 kilometres per hour and uncharacteristic flooding, the intense cyclone left in its trail at least 762 people dead, as well as assorted disease outbreaks, and as yet undetermined damage to property and other valuables, including food crops and stored reserves.

In the event, President John Magufuli donated food, medicines and other essentials to the affected countries, for which he was commended all-round.

Closer to home, the Tanzania Meteorological Agency has warned that the low pressure phenomenon in eastern Madagascar, combined with Cyclone Idai, had negatively impacted the weather conditions and seasonal rain patterns in the country.

Not only that. A press statement issued in Nairobi by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) warned of “a higher chance of drier-than-usual conditions in the coastal regions of Tanzania, southern and southeastern Ethiopia, central and northeastern Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan”.

In that regard, the mentioned countries would experience drought and higher-than-usual temperatures, affecting forage and water availability for people, livestock and wildlife.

Indeed, there are more of such dire warnings – and, as severe, perhaps prolonged drought comes knocking at our door, there is a real need for us to adequately prepare for the inevitable dry times.

To that end, we earnestly urge the relevant authorities, including especially the government, to take the drought warnings with utmost seriousness, and prevent human suffering every which way.

This is in the best interests of the country and its people.