BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE – Deputy Prime Minister Senator Thulisile Dladla has once again urged emaSwati to begin preparing for a possible El Niño-induced drought, warning that current forecasts indicate a more than 90 percent chance of the weather phenomenon developing and affecting rainfall patterns across the country up to 2027.
Speaking on June 22, 2026, during the handover of houses to vulnerable families at Lobamba Lomdzala, the Deputy Prime Minister called on citizens to start conserving food, protecting grazing land, and using available resources wisely to reduce the potential impact of below-normal rainfall.
Senator Thulisile Dladla urged communities to avoid burning grazing fields, saying such practices could worsen conditions should the country experience prolonged dry spells. She also encouraged households to begin building food reserves and adopting water conservation measures while conditions still allow.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that preparation should begin immediately, drawing lessons from previous droughts that severely affected livelihoods, food production, and water availability.
Her remarks reinforce an earlier appeal made in April 2026 when she addressed the nation while serving as Acting Prime Minister. At the time, she urged emaSwati to take climate warnings seriously and prepare proactively for possible drought conditions linked to El Niño.
The National Disaster Risk Management Authority (NDRMA) has also encouraged farmers and the public to implement precautionary measures, including climate-smart agricultural practices, rainwater harvesting, and improved food security planning.
Experts recommend planting drought-resistant crops such as sorghum, millet, beans, and early-maturing maize, while livestock owners are encouraged to secure feed supplies and reliable water sources ahead of the next farming season. Households are also encouraged to harvest and store rainwater, recycle water where possible, fix leaks, and build reserves of non-perishable food items to cushion themselves against possible shortages.
The warning comes amid growing international concern over El Niño. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has cautioned that El Niño conditions will “pour fuel on the fire of a warming world” and warned that the phenomenon is arriving with more than 90 percent certainty.
Guterres said El Niño is expected to intensify the effects of climate change, threatening to push global temperatures to record highs and increasing pressure on food and water systems. He warned that climate disruptions could hit harder, travel further and cross borders with devastating speed, with vulnerable communities likely to suffer the greatest impact.
The UN Secretary-General has called on countries to accelerate action by protecting vulnerable communities, strengthening early warning systems, transitioning to renewable energy, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Authorities continue to encourage emaSwati to stay informed through official weather updates and take early action to strengthen household and community resilience as the country prepares for the possibility of below-normal rainfall in the coming agricultural seasons.
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