children are forced to spend more time on activities such as water sourcing, food gathering or other work, while girls will be at increased risk child marriage as families seek ways of ensuring food access. Lack of access to water and sanitation in schools, as well as possible breaks in school feeding programmes, will also impact attendance. Increased incidences of diarrheal disease outbreaks and weakened concentration spans due to hunger may also affect the ability of children to participate in education. The provision of primary healthcare will suffer as hospitals cannot function without guaranteed sources of clean water. This will occur at a time of increased need due to drought-related diseases and malnutrition. Decreasing access to clean water coupled with increased malnutrition will impact the overall health of communities. tourism is based largely on wildlife and water-based recreation, and the drought threatens both. Many countries also rely on agricultural exports which have been impacted negatively by the drought. A decrease in hydro-electric generation will also have economic consequences, as economies cannot grow without a stable supply of electricity. Increased stress from food insecurity could lead to strained social relations, with increase in domestic violence as inter-household stress increases. In times of stress men often leave in search of employment, leaving women and children to fend for themselves in increasingly difficult circumstances. Competition for scarce resources could also pit communities against each other. Conditions in refugee camps may also worsen as host countries struggle to provide basic services. Economic development will suffer as agricultural production and tourism decline. The region’s A school girl collects water from a puddle in Nongoma, north west of Durban Photo credits: Mujahid Safodien, Source: AFP 9