The Kunene Region mainly has a hot arid desert climate. Climate change is leading to a decrease in rainfall and increasingly irregular rainfall patterns. Extreme weather events are on the rise. This has led to the Himba seeing their herds being decimated, losing their wealth and livelihoods. Pastoralists are among the most vulnerable communities to climate change, as they are completely dependent on increasingly less productive lands.

Over the past decade, pastoralists in Kunene Region, Namibia, have endured recurrent drought and flood events that have culminated in the loss of their primary form of livelihood: pastoralism. Most pastoralists are finding it difficult to sustain their livelihoods, and their communities have fallen into extreme poverty.
– Inman et al.

Oruseu is located in the northern Epupa Constituency of Kunene, one of the poorest and most underserved constituencies in the country with over 50% of the population considered severely poor. Kunene is the most malnourished region of Namibia, with 25% of the population experiencing high levels of acute malnutrition. The Himba survive on a poor diet of purchased cornmeal and a limited amount of dairy. They have limited access to modern medicine. People in Oruseu for instance, need to walk a full day to consult the nearest doctor.