CLIMatE adaPtatION REadINEss FOR aGRICuLtuRE: dROuGht LEssONs FROM thE WEstERN CaPE, sOuth aFRICa

The document examines the gap between South Africa's comprehensive climate and disaster risk management policies and their practical implementation. It highlights that while the 2015/2016 El Niño-linked drought caused severe agricultural losses, the adoption of conservation agriculture by grain farmers in the Western Cape demonstrated improved resilience. The brief argues for a shift from disaster relief to proactive risk reduction, calling for better intergovernmental cooperation, streamlined water resource planning, and targeted financial mechanisms for vulnerable farmers.

• The 2015/2016 El Niño-linked drought caused severe agricultural impacts across Southern Africa, including 643,000 livestock deaths and reduced crop harvests for two consecutive seasons, leaving an estimated 23 million people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance totaling $2.7 billion.
• South Africa has established integrated policy frameworks for climate change and disaster risk reduction, such as the National Climate Change Response White Paper (2011) and the Disaster Management Amendment Act No. 16 of 2015, but these are not yet effectively implemented across different government tiers.
• In the Western Cape, the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA)—practices that increase soil moisture-holding capacity—by over 70% of grain farmers led to better outcomes during the 2015 drought compared to conventional farming practices.
• The 2015/2016 drought in the Western Cape resulted in significant crop losses, including 200,000 tonnes of wheat, 230 hectares of potatoes, and 15% of fruit, with approximately 17,000 cattle requiring fodder assistance.
• There is a critical need to dismantle bureaucratic barriers and improve co-operative planning between agricultural and water sectors to optimize surface and ground water use, especially as shifting rainfall patterns increase the need for storage capacity.
• Current drought responses are overly dependent on financially unsustainable relief funds; there is a need for financial mechanisms that encourage proactive risk reduction and provide bridging finance for resource-poor farmers.

APA

Midgley, S., & Methner, N. (2016). CLIMatE adaPtatION REadINEss FOR aGRICuLtuRE: dROuGht LEssONs FROM thE WEstERN CaPE, sOuth aFRICa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Policy-Briefing-154.pdf

Chicago

Midgley, Stephanie, and nadine Methner. CLIMatE adaPtatION REadINEss FOR aGRICuLtuRE: dROuGht LEssONs FROM thE WEstERN CaPE, sOuth aFRICa. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2016. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Policy-Briefing-154.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Midgley |first1=Stephanie |last2=Methner |first2=nadine |title=CLIMatE adaPtatION REadINEss FOR aGRICuLtuRE: dROuGht LEssONs FROM thE WEstERN CaPE, sOuth aFRICa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Policy-Briefing-154.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{midgley2016climate, author = {Midgley, Stephanie and Methner, nadine}, title = {{CLIMatE adaPtatION REadINEss FOR aGRICuLtuRE: dROuGht LEssONs FROM thE WEstERN CaPE, sOuth aFRICa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Policy-Briefing-154.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }