Feature: Drought cripples energy source for Namibian rural households

It's just after 13:00 on Monday, and Helena Iitope from a far-flung village in northern Namibia, had just returned from collecting cow dung which she uses as an energy source to cook.

"In fact, I had to go beyond the village boundaries into another village, hoping to collect enough cow dung to prepare both lunch and dinner for the family," she said.

Rocked by drought, the Namibian government declared a drought emergency two month ago.

It's not only the loss of crops and livestock that has been the immediate effect on farmers, but hidden from view is the energy crisis hard-hitting rural households, who are dependent on firewood and natural resources for energy.

In 2005, for Iitope, the supply of firewood and other energy sources such as cow dung were accessible within a distance of 100-500 metres from her home.

As climate change took its toll on the environment, Iitope this year bemoans of a lack of firewood, let alone sufficient cow dung as an energy source -- all lost to drought.

These days, like many farmers in rural Namibia, as firewood becomes scarce, cow dung is used as substitute for firewood.

However, the search for cow dung, according to Iitope, is synonymous to looking for a needle in a stack of hay as the cattle perished early this year.

"The cattle died, trees vanished, withered, and so even energy source (cow dung) is limited," she said. "Consequentially, drought is crippling the source of energy for me and fellow rural dwellers."

Iitope's is not alone. Many farmers in Namibia's northern region face the same dilemma.

Another villager Selma Ileni said the lack of natural energy sources has also put constraints on household budget.

"We have to spend the little funds left on buying firewood from town. Imagine you have to buy grass for the animals, food for children, cover medical expenses and on top of that still cover for firewood. But we have no other choice," Ileni said.

"We depended on farming for survival but now the perishing of all of our livestock leaves us socially and economically disadvantaged. We have no source of income nor means of production within our reach due to the dry spell," Ileni bemoaned.

As Iitope sets fire with cow dung to prepare lunch, she said she can only hope for better rain, and Namibia's implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially on climate change to sustain her livelihood. Enditem