**1. Introduction**

Drought is defined as a period of below average precipitation in a given region, resulting in a prolonged shortage in water supply, whether atmospheric, surface or groundwater. Batisani [1] stated that drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon that exists when precipitation is significantly below normal recorded levels, causing serious hydrological imbalances that adversely affect land resource production

systems and its impacts may extend over a longer period even after a wet season. According to [2] prediction holds that drought will be a major concern for many African communities in the future due to climate change.

Drought vulnerability is associated with the risk and resilience of society to drought conditions and according to the study by Elsamian *et al*., [3], drought vulnerability of a region is governed by many different factors. Their study found that drought vulnerability factors are both natural and anthropogenic which include meteorological, hydrological, and ecological as natural factors while anthropogenic factors include socio-economic and land use parameters. The study concluded that the intensity of drought impact varies according to combination and spatiotemporal variation of the various natural and anthropogenic factors.

According to a report by the National Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry [4], a national policy on the management of drought exists in South Africa and provinces are guided by the national policy framework [5]. The policy framework stipulates that provinces risk assessment basis for the development of disaster management planning must be in line with the national policy framework. In developing such a risk assessment, provinces must include contingency plans approved and accepted by all role players in the province. The contingency plan should be activated immediately after a drought disaster is declared and the long process of assessment and declaration impacts negatively on farmers.

Despite the existence of a national policy framework on drought in South Africa, Northern Cape Provincial small-scale farmers are still facing severe vulnerability with regard to prevention, adaptation, prediction, and early warning. Since 2015, 12 early warning reports have been generated for the Northern Cape Province and disseminated to farmers through extension services and communication as an integral component of the contingency plan. Awareness campaigns have been intensified with the objective of promoting a culture of risk avoidance among small farmers through integrated education, training, and public awareness programmes informed by scientific research. Drought aid schemes have been launched since the beginning of drought conditions in 2015 and the province declared a drought disaster zone on April 12, 2016 by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).

Since the declaration, the drought condition has been deteriorating, and DAFF has allocated R25 million to the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture for drought relief. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries procured 73,000 bags of drought pellets at a cost of R20.44 million for distribution to farmers in severely affected regions of the province in 2017 [6]. As the drought condition intensifies, the management strategies in the Northern Cape appear to be inadequate and the current study intended to examine factors enhancing small-scale farmers' vulnerability to drought in the province so as to uncover new innovative management strategies to mitigate the condition. According to WSS NC [7], vulnerability embodies various factors which include environmental, physical, economic, and social factors. In order to address this problem, it is important to identify factors that cause the increased vulnerability of these farmers to drought despite the effort made by the government to mitigate the condition. Jordaan [8] argues that the situation is exacerbated by over-stocking in the Province which further complicate government efforts.

Wisner *et al.,* [9] argue that when testing the vulnerability of a community to drought, drought should be conceptualised as a trigger event that causes damage by exploiting underlying social vulnerabilities within populations exposed to its effects. It is on this basis that the United States National Drought Policy Commission Report [10] defined drought as persistent and abnormal moisture deficiency having adverse impacts on vegetation, livestock, and people. The

*Revising the National Framework for the Management of Drought (NFMD) to Enhance… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100606*

report also states that drought is a normal feature of climate and its recurrence cannot be avoided in almost every country. However, the seriousness of its economic, environmental, and social impacts affect more people when compared to other forms of natural and anthropogenic hazards particularly on the poor and vulnerable [11]. Ngaka [12] stated that drought has become an increasingly common disaster type and major hazard in South Africa in terms of people affected and economic loss.

In the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, there is an urgent need to reduce the vulnerability of small-scale farmers to climate variability and the threats posed by climate change [13]. Drought events and the magnitude of agricultural losses to drought in the Province indicate the continuing vulnerability of small-scale farmers to agriculture despite mitigation strategies in place. Farmers in the province face varying degrees of vulnerability to drought conditions within the agricultural sector depending on the size and nature of the farming operation and the drought has had a devastating effect on Northern Cape agricultural production and the impact on small-scale farmers is phenomenal.
