Resilience in Practice: How ACHM Adapts to Climate Challenges; We're Weathering the "Super El Niño"

Regenerating Our Future: Resilence in Action; Stories from Dimbangombe Newsletter 7

Welcome back to "Stories from Dimbangombe," where we continue to share the realities of managing our dynamic ecosystem in challenging times. This edition focuses on resilience, specifically how ACHM is adapting to the unprecedented climatic challenges posed by the "Super El Niño," which has resulted in one of the driest seasons on record.

A Visual Demonstration of Land Management Impact:

Lets start with a recent video, where we captured a compelling visual narrative that starkly contrasts the outcomes of different land management practices across four neighboring landscapes within a 100km radius of each other. The footage showcases Zambezi National Park and Chobe National Park—managed by their respective national parks departments in Zimbabwe and Botswana—alongside Communal lands in Zimbabwe and our own Dimbangombe Conservancy, managed by local communities, and the principles of Holistic Management by ACHM respectively

Despite all four areas being within the same broad catchment and subjected to the same climatic conditions, the differences in vegetation cover, soil health, and overall landscape vitality are striking. The footage serves as a powerful testament to the effectiveness of Holistic Management. On the communal and national park lands, the challenges of overgrazing (and at the same time over resting, for that matter) and poor water retention are visibly evident, with much of the ground barren or severely degraded.

In stark contrast, the Dimbangombe Conservancy, which we manage, displays lush, green pastures and robust vegetation, illustrating the successful application of Holistic Management techniques.

Facing the Harshest Season Yet:

We started with that, because it is doubly relevent this year, we are navigating the driest conditions ever recorded at the Dimbangombe Conservancy. Typically, our seasonal average rainfall is between 600 and 700 mm, but for over 20 years, we have consistently fallen short of this benchmark, with the actual average likely much lower now. The 2023-2024 rainy season has been particularly harsh, marked by minimal and sporadic rainfall. Our first significant rain of just over 100 mm arrived around Christmas, offering temporary relief. However, this was followed by a prolonged dry spell, intensifying the heat and compounding our challenges.

The current "Super El Niño" event is having a severe impact globally, particularly in Southern Africa. This phenomenon, which began in mid to late 2023, has caused significant increases in ocean temperatures, leading to extreme weather conditions. In Southern Africa, this has resulted in the driest conditions in over a century, with significant crop failures, reduced agricultural output, and a heightened risk of food insecurity​

Daily Maverick

UN News

Locally, October is often referred to as "suicide month" due to the oppressive heat, but this year, it felt like suicide month extended into mid-April. Just when we thought the rains were over and there was no chance of more, to the point we completely replanned our Grazing Plans… but finally an unheard of late-season downpour in May brought a few more days of rain, raising our seasonal total to slightly above 220 mm—still far below the requirement for our thriving ecosystem.

A Stark Contrast Beyond Our Boundaries:

The situation outside our conservancy is now doubly dire. The drone footage we started with was in a ‘normal’ year, the visuals are doubly stark right now. We have received numerous distressing messages from local farmers who are struggling to cope with the harsh conditions. One farmer recently reached out, stating:

"My cattle are struggling and have already started to succumb to extreme hunger and malnutrition. There is literally only sand and dry twigs in their grazing area. I'm looking for somewhere to send them where there is better grazing."

This grim reality underscores the dire situation faced by many who are not applying Holistic Management practices. Their land, left without proper grazing management, has been severely impacted by overgrazing and the ongoing drought, leaving them with little more than sand and dry twigs for their livestock to graze.

Adapting and Replanning at ACHM:

In contrast, ACHM’s adaptive strategies have allowed us to weather these extreme conditions more effectively. Despite facing the same external challenges, our land remains productive and our cattle are in good condition. While we initially considered destocking due to the drought, the unexpected rains in May led us to reassess.

With careful monitoring and strategic planning, we decided against destocking finally. Our decision paid off—our cattle are thriving, and we have ample grazing available. This situation has highlighted a critical need: to fully utilize our land's regenerative potential, we must increase our herd size further.

Resilience Through Holistic Management:

Our ability to adapt in the face of extreme climatic conditions is a testament to the strength and flexibility of Holistic Management practices. By maintaining a dynamic, context-based approach, we continuously reassess and refine our strategies to respond to changing conditions. This year, our focus has been on balancing the needs of our land and cattle, protecting vulnerable areas while encouraging regeneration where possible.

Looking Forward: Preparing for Future Challenges:

The lessons from this season have underscored the importance of having a larger, more robust herd. A larger herd would not only provide greater resilience in times of climatic stress but also allow us to manage our land more effectively, promoting soil health, water retention, and overall ecosystem function.

Another of our favourite videos shows the Dimbangombe Herd from above, and one gets an idea of how small the ‘machine’ actually is in comparison to the land base it serves

Connecting the Dots: Our Ongoing Journey:

As we continue to face these challenges, your support remains invaluable. Each step is a learning opportunity, helping us refine our approach to land and wildlife management. Stay tuned for our next newsletter, “The Power of Partnerships: Collaborating for a Sustainable Future” — because the resilience of our ecosystem depends on a collective effort!

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Together, we are proving that even in the face of a "Super El Niño," Holistic Management supporting sustainable practices can help us ‘weather the proverbial storm’.

Warm regards,

Lao Watson-Smith