------Program code: NS-080530-02377 (what's this?)
Source: CCTV.com
05-30-2008 10:36
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change contains overwhelming evidence that the earth’s climate is changing. The people most vulnerable to climate change are those in the developing world, people who often lack the resources needed to adapt to changes in climate.
 |
The first signs of a changing climate are there for all to see. Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, a spectacular sight with its icy summit. However, 80% of the ice has been lost since 1912, and its estimated that in less than 20 years it will all be gone. The mountain, and the lush green cloud forest that rings its glaciers, provides water for thousands of square kilometres of farmland and game reserves. Decreasing rainfall is drying the forest out, leaving it increasingly vulnerable to fires.
Andreas Hemp, Co-Author, ‘Global Changes in Africa: Kilimanjaro’: We have a decrease in precipitation by about 30% which means several hundred to over a thousand millimetres less on Kilimanjaro on the slopes compared to the situation at the beginning of the last century.
 |
The loss of the famous snows of Kilimanjaro may be largely symbolic, but the failure of the rains and the loss of the forest could be devastating to regions food supply. This week Earth Report travels to the equatorial region of East Africa; south to the verdant slopes of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, north to the drylands around Lake Turkana in Kenya, and then to the central Machakos hills to find out what impacts climate change may have to the livelihoods of the people in this incredibly diverse region.
Lake Turkana in northern Kenya is today largely a forgotten place. The lake water is brackish, slightly salty; the surrounding land is dry and arid. The people here are predominately semi-nomadic pastoralists, making a living in this harsh climate herding cattle, goats and camels. In a marginal land such as this, just a small change in climate can have devastating consequences. A series of droughts lasting over five years culminated in a full scale famine in 2006, and has left over half the population without a livelihood.
Eric Ogara, Practical Action: There has been unprecedented increase in temperature for the last 5 years or so, there has also been a decrease in the rainfall pattern, the drought itself has become so severe in nature claiming hundreds of livelihoods and most of it is being attributed to global warming.
Many are now forced to rely on food aid – at its peak, 100,000 tonnes every month – it’s the only lifeline for over half the population.
Eric Ogara, Practical Action: With the high dependency on food relief the economic potential of the people has been compromised. Most people would rather use their time to line up for food relief than going for productive activities. It is a vicious cycle of poverty.
Desperate to earn money, many were forced to cut down what few trees could be found for charcoal production, further degrading the land.
Rose, Aloe farmer: The women were looking for any kind of activity to make money, we cut down trees for charcoal burning and even tried brewing alcohol, but those activities are banned by the government, most of the women were being arrested because of those activities, so we looked instead to gather Aloe.
