Tuesday, March 6, 2018
The Victoria Falls, world’s renowned waterfall and number one tourist attraction in Zimbabwe, is witnessing lower flow in terms of visitors as a result of frequent droughts because of climate change, as shown by the research.
The months of October and November saw the major changes wherein rain became scarcer, temperatures higher and water flow reduced.
This decrease has the possibility of a far reaching effect on Zimbabwe’s tourism sector along with the economy as a whole.
As per the research, Victoria Falls has been impacted by drought in 19 of the 40 years ever since 1976.
Even though rainfall is up 80mm in four decades on the whole, it has dropped sharply in the last 20 years.
At this time, droughts have extended for up to 4 years at a stretch from time to time, it says.
October, which highlights the onset of Zimbabwe’s rainy season, it has predominantly been the driest.
In the month, precipitation has completely dried up. Even though rainfall is up 80mm over the four decades overall, it has declined sharply in the last 20 years.
During this period, droughts have sometimes extended for up to 4 years non-stop, it says.
October, which marks the beginning of the rainy season in Zimbabwe, has particularly been the driest.
Victoria Falls back in 1976 witnessed over 40mm of rain fall in October.
Today, none does at all.
To quote Dr Godwell Nhamo, a Zimbabwean researcher with the University of South Africa, “Rain now starts in November, and has not extended beyond April, the traditional rain-end month.”
“That means the rainy season has shortened by a month. The delay in the onset of the rainy season could have ramifications on animal habitat, animal migration patterns, and flora and fauna life cycles in the Victoria Falls resort,” said Dr Nhamo.
Tags: Victoria Falls
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