Severe drought in Africa is devastating the habitats of both humans and wildlife. Large herbivores such as elephants and antelopes are heavily impacted by the worst drought in four decades in Kenya.
Consequences of Drought
The Samburu County in northern Kenya is experiencing a record drought, exacerbated by climate change, which is destroying the livelihoods of people and the habitats of wildlife. The worst weather conditions in 40 years in Kenya have led to wildlife increasingly venturing into villages in the Samburu region in search of food. Consequently, many animals have collapsed, inadvertently providing locals with a source of food.
The Kenyan government estimates that the drought has killed over 200 elephants, nearly 400 zebras, and more than 500 wildebeests, along with several other species in the past nine months. Many surviving animals are gradually starving, weakened, and frequently coming into contact with humans. The cause is the depletion of food sources and lack of water.
The Great Migration of wildebeests.
The Kenyan government has provided some relief resources such as water, green fodder, hay, and salt for wildlife in the area, but they are still forced to venture deeper into residential areas in search of more food and water.
Climate change and poor conservation practices have degraded protected lands, reserves, and national parks in recent years. Jim Nyamu, who helps run the Elephant Center, stated: “The places where we are discovering cases of wildlife deaths are not actually in reserves or parks. This means they are truly seeking out areas where they used to forage as migration routes have been blocked by humans.”
Alex Ngari, a staff member of the BirdLife Africa conservation charity, noted: “Carcasses of migratory birds, such as the European roller, can be seen in vast dry lands. Over 300 bird species on the continent have been classified as globally threatened or critically endangered.”
The drought has also devastated communities, leading to loss of livelihoods due to mass livestock deaths and crop failures. Paul Gacheru from the Nature Kenya conservation group stated that farmers are now cutting down dry trees to produce and sell charcoal for survival, leading to even more severe biodiversity loss in the area.
Mr. Gacheru emphasized: “There is a need for a coordinated call to support local communities in coping with the impacts of climate change,” adding that locals require less destructive production methods to adapt to the dry and warm climate.
The challenge of finding solutions to better protect vulnerable ecosystems from warming climates will be part of discussions at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada. Governments are working to establish a framework on how the world should protect nature and set goals for the next decade.
Conserving Ecosystems
Communities across the African continent are facing similar losses. The Okavango Basin in southern Africa, which provides water for one million people and half of the world’s elephants, has been impacted by climate change, urban development, and deforestation, depleting the region’s resources.
Vladimir Russo, an advisor for the Okavango Wilderness Project of National Geographic, remarked: “Putting ecosystems and wildlife in jeopardy is negatively affecting human lives and livelihoods.” He believes that poorly conserved ecosystems have led to increased conflicts between humans and wildlife and could result in a rise in poaching.
“Local community members and policymakers are currently engaged in discussions to protect ecosystems,” said Bogolo Kenewendo, a senior climate advocate at the United Nations. Policy and nature experts also argue that more discussions are needed at the summit in Montreal to conserve the continent’s biodiversity.
Linda Kreuger, head of biodiversity policy at The Nature Conservancy, emphasized: “Protecting nature needs to be prioritized in the policy agendas of national leaders as it increasingly becomes a standard for climate action.”
Meanwhile, conservation charities in Samburu reported they are doing what they can as natural resources dwindle. In fact, at an elephant sanctuary in Samburu, about 30 out of 40 orphaned elephants have been rescued due to the prolonged drought.
Veterinarian Isaiah Alolo, who works at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, stated that alongside the risk of starvation, “drought is a form of stress that weakens the immune system of animals, contributing to infections and leading to the deaths of many. This leaves many calves orphaned and in need of rescue.” Dr. Alolo believes this reality places immense pressure on wildlife conservationists.
A caregiver at the Reteti Sanctuary, Dorothy Lowakutuk, added that staff at the sanctuary must source food and supplements from the grasslands around Mount Kenya, approximately 50 km from the sanctuary. However, those grasslands are also at risk of degradation if the drought persists.
According to the Kenya Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, up to 14 species of wildlife have been identified as severely affected by drought, most of which are herbivores. Not only animals, but four consecutive seasons without rain have also pushed at least 4 million people out of a total population of 50 million in Kenya into hunger.
