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[BIODIVERSITY] How Climate Change is Threatening Biodiversity

by Yvonne Wabai | 31-05-2019 05:13


Biodiversity is the variey of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is considered to be important and desirable. Climate change refers to a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns that lasts for an extended period of at least 30 years. The changing of climate throughout the years is normal, however, what is of concern is the man-made climate change which is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and other human activities. As a result of man-made climate change, countries all over the world have begun experiencing extreme weather phenomena such as heat waves, typhoons, hailstorms, floods, and droughts more frequently and with at a higher intensity than usual. In turn, these weather phenomena have affected many different sectors of the economy and our lives. One of those sectors is biodiversity.

Using Kenya as an example, in the last couple  of years, Kenya has seen experienced a pattern of lengthy periods of extreme droughts followed by devastating floods. During the droughts, plants dried up and died due to dehydration. This affected out food security. Animals, domestic and wild, died as well due to dehydration and starvation. There were people who died as well due to dehydration and starvation. During the floods, plants were unable to grow because the ground was too water-logged. Again, this affected our food security. Animals, both domestic and wild, were washed away by the flood waters, as were people. Another effect of this is that there is increased conflict between people and wild animals as the two groups are increasingly finding themselves in the same vicinities as they look for food and water. There was outrage some time back when wardens killed a lion instead of tranquillising it - the lion had ventured into traffic by accident. Elephants have been killed by villages - who then ate them because they were hungry - after they tresspassed through the village and farms on the while looking for food. There was even a case of a leopard sneaking into goat pens and eating the goats. This is not good because tourism is a big part of Kenya's economy. It is a big earner. It is no good if our wild animals die, for whatever reason. The annual wildebeest migration, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world, occurs in Kenya and Tanzania where the wildebeest migrate between Maasai Mara in Kenya and  Serengeti in Tanzania in cycles. It is a really big thing and all the wildebeests migrate all at once - the event of the season. This is what made Maasai Mara and Serengeti so famous. Tourists come in droves to see this happen, and this helps our economy. Unfortunately, due to the change in rainfall patterns as a result of climate change, the wildebeest migration has been negatively affected. Additionally, since the rains now come in the forms of floods after a period of drought, the wildebeests are in danger of drowning as they cross the River Mara. If the wildebeests can't migrate, they cannot breed as they normally do and they may very well eventually die out. 

Scientists recently wanred that over 1 million species in the world are in danger of extinction due to climate change. Grevy's zebra are in danger of extinction in Kenya. Giraffe have been put on the list of endangered animals. Honey bees are going extinct, which means that the world is at risk of losing 70% of its food crops because it is mostly the honey bee that pollinates them. The situation is critical. What plants or animals are endangered in your country?