A Desert in bloom: Rainfall transforms Namibia

This year, however, was different. As Wilderness Namibia Guide Trainer, Clement Lawrence, puts it, “The prevailing system that brings moisture inland is what suppresses the rain. This year round, that pressure system was weakened. And a lot of the East Africa weather came through and allowed for a lot of rain throughout the whole country. This means that there's grass everywhere!”

According to Joryn Barnard, Wilderness Head of Sales Namibia, the timing of it was almost divinely ordained: “On Independence weekend (March 21), as we celebrated the inauguration of Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the first female president of Namibia, it started raining. And it rained and rained and rained!" she said with obvious excitement. “Some places in Namibia recorded up to 180 mm in mere hours. More than in previous rainy seasons combined!”

To mark the occasion of this rain, Joryn joined Wilderness Air for a full day of flying to view Namibia from the air and see the change. She was completely blown away. “Never in 20 years in Namibia have I seen our beautiful country so green!” she enthused.

The north of Namibia, in particular, had very good rains due to a persistent low-pressure system, which pushed huge volumes of moist air from south-west Angola into Namibia, all along the escarpment and the Namib Desert. With this, many of the ephemeral rivers that might flow once in a decade suddenly surged to life.  

Gerhard Thirion, our Environmental Manager in Namibia, added that “flash floods became common occurrences, reshaping the landscape and filling underground water reserves. The Hoaruseb River reached the ocean again, while the Kunene, Hoanib, Uniab, Aba-Huab, Huab, Ugab, Tsauchab, and Fish rivers, amongst many others, flowed in full spate”. 

Now, after so many bone-dry years, the desert has burst into life, covered by a carpet of green grasses, with desert thorns in yellow bloom, and a movement of birds, insects and animals capitalising on the new life.

At Sossusvlei near Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge and Little Kulala, the transformation has been stunning. “Sossusvlei, it's green everywhere. Animals have the freedom to move in and out as they wish, and this gives us a great opportunity to see big movements of springbok passing through our reserve”, said Clement. Gemsbok (oryx) have also been seen in large numbers. “Watching them move through the green grasses, with the red desert dunes as a backdrop is a contrast so beautiful and rare, it makes for a photographer's dream”.

From a wildlife perspective, this unusual abundance creates new wildlife patterns in areas like the Kunene Region. “The rapid movement away from the riverbeds means the restaurant is closed for the desert lions as they now have to follow the game to the plains, where it is much more difficult to stalk and catch their prey”, explained Gerhard. For those who are currently joining us on safari in Namibia, it's a whole new dynamic to witness.

Clement also noted, “Everything’s moving around, all the animals are everywhere. They're not always easy to see because there's water available everywhere. However, in the coming months we will see a shift. As it dries up and winter comes along, we'll have the chance to visit more water points as they'll be a lot more active”. There is a chance, with the arrival of new animals from other areas following the rains, that the concentration of game around water points will be denser than in previous years.

If you're heading to Damaraland, where our Wilderness “D-camps” (Damaraland Camp, Doro Nawas and Desert Rhino Camp) are located, the movement of desert-adapted elephants, however, is not as unusual. “The elephants are still in and around the river. They're quite dispersed at the moment, but predominantly because there are water points along the river, and they're not likely to wander too far away”, Clement reassured us. In addition to this, he suggests you might even spot some unexpected visitors:

For the birders, chances of seeing unusual species like the secretarybird are much higher.

For the people of Namibia, these rains have been a blessing. “Because of the hyper-arid environment we live in, seasonal rains have a sort of ‘healing power’ that is difficult to explain to people who are not from here”, reflected Joryn. To her and the people of Namibia, a safari in Namibia currently offers something quite special – a once-in-a-decade chance to see this ancient desert landscape brought to vibrant life by what eludes it most often – precious rain.