How do droughts affect crop farming and livestock in Botswana?

In Botswana, agricultural productivity is significantly constrained by the country's climate, as very little land is suitable for cultivation. Because annual rainfall is limited primarily to summer downpours, the nation is highly vulnerable to environmental fluctuations.12

Cyclic droughts, which frequently occur for five or six years every two decades, have severe consequences for the agricultural sector:2

• Crop Farming: Drought conditions can severely limit or entirely eliminate harvests, forcing the country to rely on food imports from neighbors like South Africa and Zimbabwe to meet national consumption needs.12
• Livestock: Botswana is traditionally known as cattle country, and the industry is a vital part of the economy. However, prolonged dry periods reduce the availability of necessary water and pasture, which can lead to the starvation of livestock.12

While the government has invested in support services and disease control to bolster the beef industry, these efforts remain challenged by the recurring threat of drought.1