Mbabane – Land degradation has become a growing environmental and economic threat in Eswatini, with the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA) estimating annual losses at US$100 million (about E1.7 billion), equal to 2.9% of the country’s GDP.
The warning was issued by Mxolisi Maphanga, Director of Environment Assessment & Compliance at the EEA, during a national workshop reviewing the country’s National Drought Plan (NDP) at the Royal Villas in Ezulwini. He said land degradation continues to affect the country’s socio-economic landscape, with losses driven by declining agricultural output, ecosystem damage, reduced water security and increasing recovery costs.
Maphanga described the situation as an escalating national concern linked to worsening droughts, expanding dongas, shrinking grazing lands and declining biodiversity. He cautioned that without urgent intervention, the degradation of ecosystems will continue to threaten food security, livelihoods and long-term national development. “When drought worsens, land degradation speeds up, dongas spread across the landscape, threatening grazing lands, homesteads and livestock. Biodiversity drops as species struggle, and there is an urgent need to promote the sustainable use of natural resources,” he said. He added that the country’s semi-arid climate, rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns are contributing to more frequent and severe droughts.
Assessments show an increase in extremely hot days exceeding 36°C, a trend that could intensify soil erosion, reduce agricultural productivity and place further pressure on rural communities already struggling with limited resources.
Water stress was also highlighted, with Maphanga noting that while Eswatini uses only a small portion of its renewable water supply, demand continues to increase. He warned that the country’s dependence on freshwater sources outside its borders leaves it vulnerable to upstream decisions beyond its control.
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