Rainfall unlikely to offset drought

Most countries in the Greater Horn of Africa region would receive near-normal rainfall during the September to December season, weather experts said at the eighth Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum, held in eastern Uganda. The workshop was sponsored by USAID and hosted about 150 participants, including representatives from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia, a correspondent attending for the Kenyan 'Daily Nation' said. However, weather experts said in a concluding statement that the near-normal to below-normal rainfall expected in most parts of the region might not offset the water and pasture deficits caused by prolonged drought.

The Drought Monitoring Centre, Nairobi, project coordinator, Professor Laban Ogallo, said regional meteorological departments were now focusing on the rains, which are associated with the warming of the Pacific Ocean, resulting in heavy rains. During the conference, Ugandan Environment Minister Keximbira Miyingo challenged scientists in sub-Saharan Africa to formulate early warning climate systems. He said climatic changes had a significant impact on the region's socioeconomic setup, as well as on health. Representatives from Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda also attended the 'Daily Nation' said on Monday.