Posted on September, 5, 2022 at 07:50 am
Tanzania's weather watchdog on Friday issued an alert over the imminent seasonal rainfall deficit during the October-December period, saying various water-sensitive sectors are likely to be affected.
The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) forecasted prolonged dry spells in October and November with noticeable rainfall improvement during the third and fourth weeks of December.
The TMA said in a statement that the diminished rainfall will affect sectors such as health, agriculture and food security, livestock and fisheries, natural resources, tourism and wildlife.
The statement said the expected few rains during the season may lead to limited access to clean and safe water which may cause water-related disease outbreaks such as scabies, trachoma, cholera and typhoid.
The statement said an increase in crop diseases and pests such as ants, armyworms, locusts and rodents are expected to occur during the season, affecting crops and production in general.
"Farmers are advised to practice timely planting, plant early maturing and drought tolerant crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, sorghum and legumes," said the statement.
It said the reduced rains are likely to affect water and pasture availability for livestock and food for fish, adding that this condition is likely to affect the production of fish and livestock products.
The statement said the little rains are expected to reduce the availability of pastures and water resulting in conflicts between communities surrounding protected areas and wildlife, adding that outbreaks of wildlife diseases are expected to occur due to water and pasture scarcity.
Source: Xinhua