88
S. Kusangaya et al.
be reduced due to increased droughts and enhanced evapotranspiration as a result
of the high temperatures. It is thus concluded that southern Africa is deemed to be
a particularly vulnerable region on the African continent, as multiple biophysical,
political and socioeconomic stresses interact to heighten the region’s susceptibility
to climate change and variability and constrain its adaptive capacity. Thus, there is
need to increase resilience of ecosystems and communities in light of the anticipated
changes in hydrological regimes and extreme events.
Keywords Climate change · Hydrological regimes · Extreme hydrological
events · Resilience of ecosystems and communities · Southern Africa
1 Introduction
The southern Africa region is predominantly semi-arid and characterised by both
high seasonality and inter-annual variability of rainfall, river flows and groundwater
recharge. The growing human population including population in urban areas, expansion of irrigated areas to improve food security, and industrialization are increasing
the water demand while water availability is progressively becoming constrained.
Some of the southern African countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe are
already considered water-stressed countries. Future increases in water demand
will result in other countries in this region following suit. However, the available
surface and ground water resources depend on the balance between precipitation
and evapotranspiration, the very aspects which are severely impacted on by climate
change.
However, climate change will have spatially differentiated effects on precipitation in various parts of southern Africa that will impact on available water resources.
Changes in the seasonality of rainfall will alter hydrological regimes thus affecting
the availability of water resources during both rainy and dry seasons (Kusangaya
et al. 2018). Several studies have demonstrated that climate change will cause intensification of the hydrological cycle (Schulze 2005; Huntington 2006; Syed et al.
2010; Warburton et al. 2010). This will alter the occurrence of rain days, duration of
wet and dry spells (Kusangaya et al. 2018).
Apart from agriculture (Pielke 2007; Crane et al. 2011), climate change induced
changes on the availability of water resources will affect other sectors such as health
(Githeko et al. 2000; Huntingford et al. 2007; Vermeulen et al. 2012), ecosystems
and biodiversity (Eriksen and Watson 2009), and energy generation (Magadza 1996;
Yamba et al. 2011). The patterns of weather-related hazards will be affected by
climate change and thus impacting on human settlements causing loss of life, social
disruption and economic hardships (Hulme et al. 2001; Desanker 2002). Such impacts
will be felt more by the resource poor in Southern Africa (Magadza 1996; Ngigi
2009).
Nevertheless, there are still uncertainties regarding the rate of climate change,
and the spatial and temporal distribution of these impacts over southern Africa.
S. Kusangaya et al.
be reduced due to increased droughts and enhanced evapotranspiration as a result
of the high temperatures. It is thus concluded that southern Africa is deemed to be
a particularly vulnerable region on the African continent, as multiple biophysical,
political and socioeconomic stresses interact to heighten the region’s susceptibility
to climate change and variability and constrain its adaptive capacity. Thus, there is
need to increase resilience of ecosystems and communities in light of the anticipated
changes in hydrological regimes and extreme events.
Keywords Climate change · Hydrological regimes · Extreme hydrological
events · Resilience of ecosystems and communities · Southern Africa
1 Introduction
The southern Africa region is predominantly semi-arid and characterised by both
high seasonality and inter-annual variability of rainfall, river flows and groundwater
recharge. The growing human population including population in urban areas, expansion of irrigated areas to improve food security, and industrialization are increasing
the water demand while water availability is progressively becoming constrained.
Some of the southern African countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe are
already considered water-stressed countries. Future increases in water demand
will result in other countries in this region following suit. However, the available
surface and ground water resources depend on the balance between precipitation
and evapotranspiration, the very aspects which are severely impacted on by climate
change.
However, climate change will have spatially differentiated effects on precipitation in various parts of southern Africa that will impact on available water resources.
Changes in the seasonality of rainfall will alter hydrological regimes thus affecting
the availability of water resources during both rainy and dry seasons (Kusangaya
et al. 2018). Several studies have demonstrated that climate change will cause intensification of the hydrological cycle (Schulze 2005; Huntington 2006; Syed et al.
2010; Warburton et al. 2010). This will alter the occurrence of rain days, duration of
wet and dry spells (Kusangaya et al. 2018).
Apart from agriculture (Pielke 2007; Crane et al. 2011), climate change induced
changes on the availability of water resources will affect other sectors such as health
(Githeko et al. 2000; Huntingford et al. 2007; Vermeulen et al. 2012), ecosystems
and biodiversity (Eriksen and Watson 2009), and energy generation (Magadza 1996;
Yamba et al. 2011). The patterns of weather-related hazards will be affected by
climate change and thus impacting on human settlements causing loss of life, social
disruption and economic hardships (Hulme et al. 2001; Desanker 2002). Such impacts
will be felt more by the resource poor in Southern Africa (Magadza 1996; Ngigi
2009).
Nevertheless, there are still uncertainties regarding the rate of climate change,
and the spatial and temporal distribution of these impacts over southern Africa.