Zimbabwe has donated 10 tonnes of food supplies to communities in Botswana’s drought-prone Bobirwa District.
Reports show that Zimbabwe is providing emergency assistance as concerns over food insecurity grow and new research warns that Botswana could face a major agricultural shock under projected El Niño conditions.
The food was delivered to Mophato Volunteers in Bobirwa through ZimAid, Zimbabwe’s foreign assistance programme. Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said the initiative works with the Civil Protection Unit and private-sector partners to provide humanitarian assistance. The donation, announced amid deteriorating food-security concerns, highlights the humanitarian pressures facing Botswana’s rural communities. The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) described the assistance as an expression of cooperation and solidarity between the two neighbouring countries.
Bobirwa is particularly exposed to drought because many households depend on rain-fed agriculture and livestock. The latest intervention comes as Botswana faces warnings that poor rainfall and rising temperatures could further undermine domestic food production.
The warning is contained in a research paper by Oratile Joyce Lesiapeto, a researcher at the Parliament of Botswana, titled Projected Impacts of El-Niño on Botswana 2026. The paper, dated August 10, 2026, models the potential consequences of an El Niño cycle between October 2026 and March 2027.
Lesiapeto models a scenario involving a 5 percent increase in average temperatures and a 25 percent decline in rainfall. Under that scenario, Botswana’s national average temperature could reach 31.64°C while rainfall could fall to 24.69mm.
The research estimates a 43.5 percent loss in major cereal yields with sorghum production falling to about 16,008 tonnes and maize production collapsing to approximately 5,650 tonnes.
The consequences could extend beyond farms and into household food prices.
Under a moderate El Niño scenario, the study projects 148,622 cattle deaths, representing a mortality rate of 15.9 percent. Under a severe scenario, cattle deaths could rise to 195,359, equivalent to 20.9 percent of the national herd. The resulting economic losses are estimated at between P891.73 million and P1.17 billion.
According to the research, Botswana could require more than 14,500 tonnes of additional sorghum imports, pushing sorghum import dependency from about 7.3 percent to 47.63 percent.
Maize imports could rise to approximately 214,350 tonnes, while wheat imports could reach about 126,843 tonnes. The study projects import dependency of around 97 percent for maize and 98 percent for wheat.
Lesiapeto warns that sourcing grain during a regional drought could expose Botswana to higher prices, increased transport costs and supply bottlenecks, particularly if neighbouring countries also experience shortages. The livestock sector could face an even larger financial blow.
Under a moderate El Niño scenario, the study projects 148,622 cattle deaths, representing a mortality rate of 15.9 percent. Under a severe scenario, cattle deaths could rise to 195,359, equivalent to 20.9 percent of the national herd. The resulting economic losses are estimated at between P891.73 million and P1.17 billion.
The research recommends that Botswana act before the projected drought takes hold, including securing white maize and sorghum through forward contracts, introducing early destocking incentives, subsidising supplementary livestock feed and rehabilitating boreholes in vulnerable grazing areas.
It also calls for targeted food assistance and income support for households dependent on rain-fed agriculture, alongside longer-term investment in drought-tolerant seeds, micro-irrigation, climate-smart agriculture and climate-risk insurance.
