iSimangaliso drought update

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Toko
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iSimangaliso drought update

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iSimangaliso drought update

http://isimangaliso.com/newsflash/isima ... ht-update/
iSimangaliso drought update.pdf
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Lisbeth
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Re: iSimangaliso drought update

Post by Lisbeth »

Interesting information on a unique natural phenomenon: The wetlands, a mix of sweet water, salt water, bush, beach etc. with lots of different flora and fauna ^Q^ ^Q^


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Toko
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Re: iSimangaliso drought update

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http://zululandobserver.co.za/106519/dr ... ng-threat/

Drought not iSimangaliso’s most pressing threat
An in-depth look at rainfall during the drought, and why we are not out of the woods just yet

23 hours ago


WHILE welcome rains were reported over large parts of Zululand early last week, this has done virtually nothing to ease the dire drought in the region.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park last year recorded the lowest amount of rainfall in 65 years, and last received ‘substantial’ rains in December 2015.

Over Sunday and Monday, St Lucia received 77mm of rain, while other areas received substantially less over the same period.

Charters Creek recorded 30mm and Kosi Bay and Manzengwenya each had 20mm.

Further inland, uMkhuze South received 30mm while uMkhuze North received no rain at all.

Little rain fell in the Lake Sibiya and False Bay areas, which received six and three millimeters respectively.

However, the rains did not raise the water level of the uMfolozi River, which flowed bank to bank earlier this month.

The river’s level has dropped significantly over the past week, and sand banks become more and more visible as it continues to ebb.

Officials hope the area’s underground coastal pans and aquifers were sufficiently refilled by the periodic rainfall and will serve as a buffer should rainfall remain below average.

‘The challenge wildlife parks will face in Northern KZN this winter, including iSimangaliso, is not a shortage of water but a shortage of food,’ said iSimangaliso CEO, Andrew Zaloumis.

‘Browsers such as buffalo, hippo and White rhino are taking a beating.’

iSimangaliso and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife have jointly relocated animals in danger of becoming too weak to move in search of food, including de-horned rhino, from iSimangaliso’s uMkhuze section to more abundant habitats in the park.

Sporadic rainfall

In 1992, the Zululand region, which has an annual average rainfall of 1127mm , recorded the lowest figure since 1934, receiving only 520mm.

In 2014, the region averaged 540mm; in 2015, it averaged 530mm.

Officials predict 2016 will only be marginally different.

Since the beginning of March the highest amount of rainfall has been recorded in four areas; Mtunzini with141mm, the Richards Bay Sokhulu area with 138mm, 130mm in Nyalazi and 123mm in Port Durnford.

Other areas have had almost half as much rainfall in March.

Kwambonani recorded 66mm, Teza had 54mm and Hluhluwe saw 50mm.

‘Rain falls sporadically in different areas,’ said Zululand Fire Protection Association officer, Tony Roberts.

‘Although we have these figures we shouldn’t draw a general conclusion for the region based on them.

‘The only thing that’s certain is that there will be a shortage of water if we do not receive more rain soon.’

The Umhlathuzi Valley Flats has fared much worse than certain Richards Bay suburbs, receiving just 55mm while Meerensee and Arboretum alone had 65mm and 88mm respectively this week.


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