Africa's severe drought is threatening the survival of humans and animals alike.
The drought, aggravated by the El Niño weather pattern, is scorching crops and threatening food security for millions of people. The drought is taking its toll on animals, too. The grasses and other plants that many animals depend on for their survival cannot grow with the inadequate rainfall southern Africa has received, and watering holes cannot provide enough water for thirsty animals.
Elephants are particularly susceptible to heat, they do not have sweat glands making it difficult to cool down once they've been exposed to heat. That's why they typically stay in shaded areas during the heat of the day, only venturing to watering holes at dusk when temperatures drop.
The drought has dried up many regular watering holes (known as "pans") which elephants and other animals rely on for their survival. In Hwange National Park, solar-powered water pumps were installed by Friends of Hwange (FOH) to help address the drought, but without batteries, they don’t have adequate water throughout the night. Adding battery storage to these systems means they can pump water around the clock so the animals can safely access it once the sun has gone down.Our partners, Friends of Hwange, previously swapped out diesel pumps for solar-powered water pumps. We recently helped them install batteries at two of those sites, but the situation is dire and energy storage (batteries) is needed for many more pumps.
The elephant shown (above) stuck in the mud of a drying watering hole while trying to access the little water that was remaining was rescued (below). (Note: FOH normally rescues trapped elephants using leather straps. However, in this instance, straps weren’t available and the situation was critical. The elephant was safely rescued from the life-threatening situation.)
Solar and battery storage can save lives by enabling water pumps to make water available 24/7 for humans and animals..
With your support, we can power two more pumps! We hope you will consider a donation today and become part of the solution.
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