How temporary water sources connect wildlife across southern Africa

The document discusses the role of 'pans'—shallow, temporary wetlands—in supporting wildlife movement and community water access in southern Africa. It highlights how climate change and land degradation are reducing water availability, leading to increased competition between humans and animals. The text argues that restoring these pans by removing sediment and reestablishing vegetation can maintain natural wildlife corridors and, when combined with separate water supplies for people, mitigate conflict.

• Pans are shallow, temporary wetlands that collect seasonal rain and floodwaters, serving as critical water sources for plants, livestock, communities, and wildlife, including African savanna elephants.
• Climate change is increasing water scarcity in southern Africa through hotter temperatures, less predictable rainfall, and more frequent droughts, which increases the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict as both groups rely on the same dwindling water sources.
• Land degradation and erosion cause pans to fill with sediment, which impairs their natural clay layer's ability to store water near the surface.
• Restoration of pans involves removing excess sediment, reestablishing surrounding vegetation, and installing structures to slow runoff, which helps retain seasonal rainfall for longer periods.
• In the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), temporary water sources are primary drivers of movement for buffalo and elephants; strategic restoration along these routes, combined with separate water supplies for humans (such as boreholes and rainwater harvesting), can reduce competition.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). How temporary water sources connect wildlife across southern Africa. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-temporary-water-sources-connect-wildlife-across-southern-africa/

Chicago

WWF International. How temporary water sources connect wildlife across southern Africa. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-temporary-water-sources-connect-wildlife-across-southern-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=How temporary water sources connect wildlife across southern Africa |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-temporary-water-sources-connect-wildlife-across-southern-africa/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndhow, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{How temporary water sources connect wildlife across southern Africa}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-temporary-water-sources-connect-wildlife-across-southern-africa/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }