CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERN

Sir,

Polluted air fused with a distinctive odour of decomposed carcases of livestock scattered all over. Humans and animals competing for water from a drying well after all sources of water have tried up.

This is what residents of the rural community of Malindza, in Swaziland, endured at the height of the severe drought which hit the Southern African region. It was the worst drought that the region had experienced in many years. It was a horror situation which evoked memories of the worse famine which struck some eastern parts of Africa some years ago.

 Fortunately, in Swaziland, there were no reports of people who died of starvation. But the devastation caused by the drought was massive, especially because agriculture is the mainstay of the Swaziland economy. It contributes more than two thirds to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to economic analysts, the effects of the droughts had dire effects on the economies of the Southern African countries as governments were forced to stretch their budgets in an attempt to mitigate the effects of the drought and, as a result, they were left grappling with huge deficits. The effects of the drought were so profound in rural communities, especially those which practice subsistence farming. Urban areas also felt the pinch; enduring very high temperatures and experiencing a water crisis.

During that period, the focus was mainly on the devastation caused by the drought rather than the reasons behind the rising temperatures in a region known for its relatively moderate climate. Reports about the losses farmers incurred and how people were struggling to make ends meet dominated the headlines. There were no attempts to highlight the issue of global warming or climate change yet there is correlation between global warming and the drought situations.

According to the United States of America (USA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ‘as temperatures rise due to global climate change, more moisture evaporates from land and water leaving less water behind’, thus resulting to a drought. According to EPA, there are both human-made and natural factors that contribute to climate change. Some of the human causes of climate change include: the burning of fossil fuels, cutting down forests and developing land for farms, cities and roads.

Those that are natural include changes in the Earth’s orbit, the sun’s intensity, the circulation of the ocean and the atmosphere, and volcanic activity. What does all this mean? The human made factors causing global warming can be prevented and we can avoid climate change, which is not only destroying the environment but it is also threatening the sustainability of mother earth.

For instance, we can substitute the use of fossil fuels to produce energy and instead use renewable energy. If we allow global temperatures to increase, we risk destroying the environment and threatening the existence of the human race on mother earth. Climate change is becoming a monster that we have to counter before it overpowers us. The rise of temperatures has not only been witnessed in certain parts of the world but the whole world is facing the same problem.

The fact that we survived the drought, though it destroyed our livestock and crops, does not mean we would survive another one. It is incumbent upon all of us to fight global warming and save the world. More campaigns are needed, especially in sub-Saharan African, to educate people on climate change. This would debunk all the myths and misinformation about climate change. Political will is also key in this regard.
 
Khulekani Nene

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