Hi! This is my first report as an Ambassador and I truly hope you enjoy reading it!

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the issue of tackling climate change to the forefront of social and economic concern. Urbanisation and the widespread of agricultural farming has led to devastating amounts of deforestation, bringing about the loss of habitat thereby forcing animal species to live side by side which exposes us to animal pathogens due to increased contact between wildlife, livestock and humans. Notably, 3 to 4 zoonotic diseases are emerging each year and resembling coronavirus, they have incredible aptitude to deliver economical blows.[1] Globally, the effects of climate change can be witnessed in the form of extreme weather from large scale droughts in Africa and heatwaves around the world from the UK to Australia.

Countries with tropical and subtropical climates are predicted to suffer the effects of climate change most severely, which is a major threat considering that low-income countries are least equipped to combat the impact of climate change. This is starkly seen in Turkana, Kenya where the local communities fight against long spells of cyclical drought and struggle to obtain food and water due to the widespread desertification.[2] 

Kenya is located within the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone which is a belt of high rainfall that is formed near the equator. The ITCZ brings rain southwards through Kenya between October and December which is considered as the short rain period, it then travels northwards in March, April and May which is regarded as the long rain season. [3]The Kenyan Bureau of Statistics has studies over the past few decades showing a strong indication of rising temperatures in Turkana County and Kenya as a whole.[4] Despite the average global temperatures having increased by 0.8°C in the past century, the temperatures in Turkana have shockingly risen between 2°C and 3°C only between 1967 and 2021. Since 2000, Kenya has repeatedly gone through periods of intense flooding and droughts where the glaciers found in Mt. Kenya have dramatically reduced which has dried up many of the river streams. Consequently, soil degradation and the loss of biodiversity has been experienced. [5]The effects of climate change  have been clearly observed through the fluctuation in rainfall patterns where the short rainy season in Kenya has become longer and wetter and the long rainy season has become dryer and lasted shorter, with the annual rainfall measures dropping to low levels.

Countries with tropical and subtropical climates are predicted to suffer the effects of climate change most severely, which is a major threat considering that LEDC’s are the least equipped to combat the impact of climate change. Due to the decrease in annual rainfall there will be great reductions of freshwater available in lake Turkana, leading the salinity and temperature of the lake to rise which will compromise the fish breeding areas and have an overall negative impact on the fish population as the conditions will not be conducive. The higher temperatures have also increased the rate of evaporation which has diminished the water sources available to the biodiversity in the area as well as the people.[7]

This has translated to less grazing land available to cattle during the dry season which leads to the livestock herds being diminished and social conflict over occupation of the available grazing land. It must be noted that cattle are an integral part of the culture of the communities living in Turkana as they rely on cattle as their primary income and attach the amount of cattle they own to their status of wealth. Therefore, overgrazing activities may also contribute to the desertification of the area hand in hand with climate change.   

The negative impacts of climate change are only growing exponentially as human activity continues to aggravate the health of the planet we live on. As equal inhabitants of the earth we must consider the consequence our actions have upon the environment we live in as ultimately, we are highly dependent on the natural world for sustenance. We must actively pursue not only the implementation of government policy to introduce more aggressive measures to combat climate change, but bring these efforts in our daily life to transition to a green lifestyle as well. 

Footnotes/References:

[1] https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/a-call-to-stop-the-next-pandemic?utm_campaign=zoonoses

[2] https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/10/15/there-no-time-left/climate-change-environmental-threats-and-human-rights-turkana

[3] https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/relevant-links/2017-06/climatechangekenya2010web.pdf

[4] https://www.knbs.or.ke/

[5] https://issuu.com/nature_kenya/docs/coping_with_climate_change_in_kenya

[6] https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/10/15/there-no-time-left/climate-change-environmental-threats-and-human-rights-turkana

[7] https://www.weadapt.org/sites/weadapt.org/files/legacy-new/knowledge-base/files/4e25767e1dac3DFIDRegional_Ecosystems_Final.pdf