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Morocco is facing a record drought threatening the country’s water resources and food security. With only 15% of agricultural land using irrigation systems, rising temperatures and irregular rainfall have affected agricultural production in the country, including the citrus and horticultural crops, particularly in the Souss-Massa region. Consequently, Morocco’s cereal production in 2022 reached its lowest level since 2008, 69% down from last year. This year’s drought mainly affected the winter cereals, while spring crops are expected to fare better. To mitigate the impact of the severe drought, Morocco has undertaken drought risk management initiatives and launched a nearly 10 billion dirhams ($1 billion) aid programme to help its agriculture industry, and spent 32 billion dirhams ($3.3 billion) on subsidies of soft wheat, cooking gas and sugar.

Figure 2:The effects of the drought on vegetation in Morocco In 2022 form satellite images (source: https://www.copernicus.eu/en/media/image-day-gallery/effects-drought-vegetation-morocco).

The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in recent history, with more than 15 million people acutely food insecure in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Drought is helpful to reduce the impact of desert locust disaster since 2019. Latest forecasts indicate that the March to May 2022 rainy season is likely to be average to below average. If the current March-May rains fail, this would be the first time in the last 40 years that the region has endured four consecutive below-normal seasons. Due to the present severe drought, millions of livestock have died, including more than 1.5 million animals in Kenya, and over 1.5 million livestock in Somali and Ethiopia. Moreover, food prices are rising in many drought-affected areas, due to a combination of macro-economic challenges, below-average harvests, and rising prices on international markets. The cost of a food basket has already risen by 66% in Ethiopia and by 36% in Somalia, leaving families unable to afford even basic items and forcing them to sell their hard-earned properties. More funding is immediately required to help families in their fight against the drought impacts.

Another food crisis is ongoing in West Africa and the Sahel in 2022, where food insecurity has reached an unprecedented level. The estimated number of food-insecure people has been on an upward trend since 2014 and almost quadrupled between 2019 and 2022, driven by severe shocks: localized shortfalls in cereal production, worsening conflicts and insecurity, high food prices, and reduced cross-border trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity conditions could worsen further if constrained access to fertilizers and unfavorable weather conditions resulted in lower cereal production in 2022.

Floods and Landslides

A Series of severe floods hit South Africa in 2022 but the extreme event was on 11-13 April when heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslides caused in southern and south-eastern parts of South Africa, particularly the Provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. The floods caused the death of 443 people in KwaZulu-Natal and over 40,000 were missing. More than 40,000 people have been displaced, while nearly 4,000 houses were destroyed and more than 8,000 others were damaged, mostly across Durban City and its surrounding areas. Hence, on the 18th of April, the President of South Africa declared a national state of disaster due to flood severity.

Figure 3: The devastating impacts of floods in KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN), South Africa, in April 2022 (https://floodlist.com/africa/south-africa-kwazulu-natal-floods-april-2022)

In Brazil, three hours of extremely heavy rain on 15th February 2022 led to more than 250 landslides, including mudslides that caused mass destruction in Petrópolis, a city built on a hillside like many low-income neighborhoods located in the north of Rio de Janeiro. The mudslides took everything in their path: cars, homes, and people, causing the death of 231 people, with five people missing. The recorded rain in a few hours on the 15th of February was more than the rains that typically occur in the whole month of February, being the highest in more than 90 years. While experts attribute the increased rainfall to climate change and weather, the growth of the city is also to blame for the disaster. As Petrópolis has expanded, residents have moved onto the hills, clearing forests that once acted as a buffer against mudslides and building homes on terrain that is often too steep and unsuitable for development.

Figure 4: The mudslides caused by floods in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, in February 2022 (https://floodlist.com/america/brazil-floods-landslides-petropolis-march-2022).

Landslides, floods, electrical storms, and strong winds caused by the 2022 rainy season have been affecting Colombia since the 15th of March, causing the death of 28 people, one person is missing and 45 individuals sustained injuries. Besides, more than 100 houses have been destroyed and 2,000 others were damaged in addition to the distraction of 335 road sections, 38 bridges, and 17 educational institutions.

In Australia, the east coast endured three intense weather systems that led to record rains and flooding from late February to early April. On the 30th of March, an intense low-pressure system brought heavy rains to Australia’s east coast, forcing thousands to flee their homes. The first three months of 2022 brought a year’s worth of rain to Sydney. On the 7th of April, Sydney received nearly a month’s rain overnight, leading to the evacuation of thousands of people.

Figure 5: Properties inundated by floods in Goodna, Australia on the 2nd of March, 2022 (https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2022/03/02/1083314101/photos-record-breaking-floods-devastate-eastern-australia).

Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has remained a global threat to human lives and national economies. Besides its massive impacts on global health, food security and the economy of all countries were significantly affected since enough food is available globally, but COVID-19 is disrupting supply and demand in complex ways. In the poorest countries, the virus poses a serious threat to food security and livelihoods, where agricultural production systems are more labor-intensive and there is less capacity to withstand a severe macroeconomic shock. Besides, there has been a major shift in the structure of demand, with a collapse in demand from restaurants, hotels, and catering, the closure of open markets, and a surge in demand from supermarkets. Measures put in place to prevent or slow the spread of COVID-19 are also disrupting the functioning of food supply chains. The impacts on labour are of particular concern leading to a vulnerable food sector. Measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 are causing delays and disruptions to transport and logistics services. Border closures and additional procedures and checks have led to congestion and delays, affecting the transit of perishable products. For example, social distancing requirements have reduced the number of import and export inspectors at borders, increasing the time needed for customs clearance.