Climate Change

By; Kimberly .N. Chishiri

 What is the problem ?
• The change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular
temperature and rainfall have contributed largely to changing eco-sytems
in a region over a long period of time.
• However this is causing droughts, floods, heat waves, glacier melting and
toxification of aquatic life due to excess emission of CO2.
 My views
• Environment - they can plant trees however, this can be hard to implement
as some communities might refuse since they need the firewood to us as a
fuel in their households hence education of the dangers of climate change
might be a better way to battle ignorance.
• Political - Enforcing laws/sanctions on other countries to protect vulnerable
natural resources and prevent environmental degradation can cause
conflicts between nations.
• Economics – Poorer countries are straining HICs leading to them backing
off.
 Local Issue
 Lake Karibas water levels have continued decreasing closing
the period under review at 480.56m (36.00% usable
storage)To this end electricity generation at Kariba Power
Station will thus be reduced to an average of 358 MW from
the planned 542 MW as a direct result of this water
allocation reduction and this has led to power supply gap.
 Zimbabwe is experiencing more hot and fewer cold days than
before as a result of climate change and variability. The
country’s annual mean surface temperature has warmed by
about 0.40C from 1900 to 2000.
 The temperature increase and drought in areas like
Mzingwane River, Beitbridge
 Africa
 Severe flooding and intense droughts in South Sudan
 Melting glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro is a result of climate
change (IPCC, 2001).
 Water insecurity in West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana)
 Flooding is the most prevalent disaster in North Africa and in
most coastal areas in Africa due to climate change which
brings about more violent cyclone activity and storm surges on
coastlines, generating higher wind speeds and heavier
precipitation, which make disaster forecasting, preparedness,
and management more challenging. i.e Mozambique, Cyclone
Idai
 Global Perspective
Melting snow and ice in the Himalayas (India, China,
Pakistan, Nepal)
Heat waves are increasing veld fires in North America and
Australia
Devastating floods in Asia are destroying crops and
settlements
The Arctic is heating twice as fast as any other place on the
planet. As its ice sheets melt into the seas, our oceans are
on track to rise one to four feet higher by 2100, threatening
coastal ecosystems and low-lying areas. Island nations face
particular risk, as do some of the world’s largest cities,
including New York, Miami, Mumbai, and Sydney.
 What can be done
• Encouraging farmers to plant drought-resistant crops as well as change their
infrastructure (digging boreholes) can help adapt to semi-arid conditions.
• Enforcing laws on water preservation and conservation can help reduce
wastage of water.
• HICs (High-Income Countries) should help countries battling natural
disasters like wildfires, flooding, and drought and provide technological
advancements that predict upcoming hazards.
• Go green projects can be put into practice where communities can use
alternative fuels for household needs i.e solar energy and biogas digesters can
also installed in rural areas where manure is readily available. This reduces
CO2 released in the atmosphere.
 ….. continuation
• Flooding can be reduced by flood mitigation schemes where wetlands
provide natural flood control, allowing excess water to seep into the
ground and recharge underground water stores.
• NGOs can help areas that struck by natural disaters i.e Commercial
Farmers’ Union, Forestry Commission and Famine Early Warning
Systems (FEWS)
• Construction of flood-proofing roads and bridges.
 References
• The effects of climate change in Zimbabwe https://
www.crs.org/stories/power-climate-change-zimbabwe
• Posted by EarthSky Voices in EARTH | HUMAN WORLD | September 30, 2019
https://earthsky.org/earth/climate-change-warming-arctic-means-for-the-rest-of-us
• Confronting the challenges of climate change on Africa’s coastal areas by Ahmadou Aly
Mbaye Thursday, January 16, 2020
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/01/16/confronting-the-challenges-of-cli
mate-change-on-africas-coastal-areas
/
• Global Climate Change: What You Need to Know February 23, 2017 by Melissa Denchak
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-climate-change-what-you-need-know
• https://www.adaptation-undp.org/explore/eastern-africa/zimbabwe
• Image e6c1ca9c9a95&groupId=252038
• Image via Chase Dekker/shutterstock