This report provides detailed findings of an investigation into the socioeconomic impacts of the 2015/16 El Niño drought in Swaziland. It records the direct and indirect effects of the drought on the economy of Swaziland and documents how it has affected households, businesses, and the environment. The economic evaluation of drought impacts is essential in order to define efficient and sustainable management and mitigation strategies.
The study documents the effects of the 2015/16 drought on the economy of Swaziland, extrapolates how it may have affected the implementation of the country’s developmental mandate, and deduces the suitability of the country’s disaster risk management policy to respond to natural disasters like droughts. The study concludes by quantifying the economic costs and overall effects, in monetary terms, of the drought to Swaziland.