crop

More than eight million Ethiopians need food aid following crop failures brought on by the climatic phenomenon known as El Niño.

The changing weather conditions caused by El Niño have led to reduced rainfall in large parts of Africa with Ethiopia being hit hard, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).

The UN agency says the country had already suffered erratic rains earlier this year which resulted in near total crop failure as well as high levels of livestock deaths among pastoral communities.

Water scarcity in North Africa and the Near East could have severe consequences for food production— something the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says will intensify with climate change.

FAO is creating a database to collect and analyze satellite imagery that will help countries to better manage water resources so that farmers can produce “more crop per drop.”

To find out more, Dianne Penn spoke to Jippe Hoogeveen of FAO’s Land and Water Division.

Duration: 2'28"