Africa

Sierra Leone is found on the West Coast of Africa and during the pre-colonial era, the country known for it's conducive atmosphere. But today the issue of climate change is the order of the day.

Climate change leads to serious implications on agriculture, biodiversity and food security, leading to hunger and poverty. Changes in temperature and weather patterns influence drought, flood, access to water and use of land.

Herders in Kenya are slowly sinking in depression as they watch their only source of livelihood (cattle) succumb to drought. These poor people who counted their wealth in thousands months ago are now left speechless as thousands of cattle die everyday.

Following the greedy nature of some Kenyans and some government officials to illegally encroach forest land for crop and livestock production and commercial illegal commercial logging, the environment is totally degraded. Now Mother Nature as decided to hit back and it has done it with maximum force. Cattle are dying by the thousands. Millions of people are facing hunger, starvation and death as a result of a poor harvest, crop failures and rising commodity prices caused climate change impacts on our lands, resources and livelihoods.

Climate change, whilst being the current most talked about environment issue, still remains an abstract and in some instances an unknown concept to a rural and marginalised community where i come from. The Sebakwe community in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe which was brought together by farming, represents a vulnerable community due to the shifting seasons which are adversely affecting their main source of sustenance, agriculture. This is a resettlement community with very little farming input support services. As such farming is predominantly rainfed.

I once again wish to share with you on more effects of climate change in Tharaka land, this time headed as the side effects of climate change. The point there in are all negative. I wish to continue mingling with the farmers and learn whether there are any positive points made by the climate change whatsoever.

Chabari Z.K,
Programme Coordinator, RIDEP.

More "side effects" of climate change: the Tharaka experience

Some of the observations and experiences of the impacts of climate change on land, resources or livelihoods in North Nandi forest.

Kibera, a populous slum in Kenya is now leading in the use of alternative green energy in an intervention to cope with energy crisis. A pilot project in Kibera is producing biogas from human wastes! The constructed public toilets are fitted with heavy digesters leading to biogas production, thus disadvantaged community can now cook with clean energy. Great strategy to cope with energy crisis, an impact of climate change. Kudos to the local NGO, Ministry of Energy and Jomo kenyatta University(JKUAT). Lets go green energy.

Chiawo
Kenyatta University.

Climate variability and human diseases have never been more related than in these times. Environmental degradation due to erratic human activity and poor environmental conditions due to various other factors have all led to environmental stress and provide favourable conditions conducive for development of very new diseases hitherto known and some unknown to human kind; easy spread of especially infectious diseases through migrations, food shortages and all other socio-economic and structural changes favourable for the spread of HIV and increased impact of AIDS on vulnerable communities.

Reports and cases of sustained research works on emerging dimensions of impacts of climate change on the socio-economic, political and environmental structures of vulnerable communities of the south-eastern Nigeria, West Africa/other development nations.

For some times now, Tharaka district like every other region globally has been badly hit by climate change. The impact is so prominent that even the elderly and the very young alike are narrating of the phenomenon. Some of the obvious indicators (as at 25th August 2009 during our normal field visit to monitor the progress of the projects) are: