In the open fields and meadows of Africa, cattle roam freely as crops flourish, rain replenishing the produce. Unfortunately, this is not Africa’s current reality. Due to natural weather phenomenons El Niño and La Niña, Africa has been suffering from climate change and serious drought repercussions. El Niño is related to the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean that cause weather and climate fluctuations and is usually followed by La Niña, which results in opposite effects of El Niño (Southern). Human impact has made Africa’s climate change much more severe as growing seasons for crops have been rapidly decreasing, resulting in a deficiency in food for both cattle and citizens of Africa (Butoyi). Not only are there fewer crops to grow, dams are at a new low water level, affecting businesses and farmers’ crops, and an inadequacy of water for the people of Africa (Onishi). Without adequate water supplies, farmers in Africa cannot successfully grow sufficient crops for African citizens and cattle cannot survive.
The article “Southern Africa and the Curse of Man-made Climate Change” has labeled the current drought in Southern Africa as "the worst drought in 35 years" by the UN, causing over half a million children to be malnourished and severely dehydrated (Southern). Although we in California have been enduring our own drought, the African drought has much more serious repercussions, as the nation’s citizens heavily rely on agriculture and steady water levels. The wavering unpredictable rain periods in Africa have created a shortage of crops grown by farmers and have left families in destitute circumstances.
The drought has massively affected the water availability in Africa, and the lack of water results in communities being cut off from the water supply. For example, Zambia relies on a hydroelectric dam for its water, as it transmits electricity to small businesses within the town. The unrelenting drought has proven to the citizens of Zambia that the dam is not limitless. The article, “Climate Change Hits Hard in Zambia, an African Success Story” reports that the dam has helped Zambia’s economy grow rapidly, but the drought has cut down water levels to a record low amount. Since the people of Zambia rely on the dam for water and electricity, the lowering levels of water result in multiple and frequent power outages. These power outages affect both businesses and citizens in Zambia, as workers have been laid off due to these power blackouts because companies cannot afford to pay workers when they are not able to produce goods without electricity. Not only are people losing their jobs, but businesses are rendered as unprofitable because they are unable to meet their production deadlines (Onishi). Deforestation has also contributed to a limited flow of water, restricting the use of water for farmers who are trying to grow crops and care for their cattle (Mounard). These two causes of water limitation have lead to malnourished and dehydrated children, along with unsuccessful businesses and citizens without jobs.
Man-made climate change has also affected the growth of crops, leading to malnourished children and dying cattle. Regardless of El Niño and La Niña, human action has worsened the impact of the natural phenomenons. A UN food and agriculture coordinator states that over forty million people will be affected by the drought since no new crops to have been grown, and crops from last year have already been used (Southern). Because of the drought, there have been water restrictions placed on farmers to save water; some farmers are restricted from using 50%+ of their water, while additionally not being able to use 30-43% from government-owned dams. (Karmo). Farmers do not have enough water to grow their crops or grow food for their cattle to eat with these restrictions in place. Not only do families have an insufficiency of food and water with the drought, these constraints have left citizens of Africa deprived of basic sustenance.
When looking into the open fields of what should be green grass and growing crops, anyone can see that Africa is plagued with climate change that has exhausted their natural resources. The dry grass and barren crop fields Africa and all of its inhabitants have been suffering from the severe climate change that has been affecting the water levels and agriculture. Unfortunately, Africa’s citizens will continue to suffer from global warming and learn to cope with conserving water and crops instead of consuming them. The citizens of Africa can only hope to have their dams and crops replenished.
Works Cited:
Butoyi, Rosette. "Burundi: Prepare for Short Growing Season, Experts Warn." AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica, 20 Feb. 2017. Web. 06 Mar. 2017
Mounard, Nicolas. "3 Key Ingredients to Achieve Food Security in Africa." News.trust.org. News.trust.org, 27 Feb. 2017. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.
Karmo, Henry. "Western Cape Agriculture on Drought Impact." South Africa Government (via Public) / South Africa Government, 6 Mar. 2017. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Onishi, Norimitsu. "Climate Change Hits Hard in Zambia, an African Success Story." The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.
"Southern Africa and the Curse of Man-made Climate Change." The Herald. IRIN, 8 Feb. 2017. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Whiting, Alex. "African Countries Will Be Hardest Hit by Climate Change." MG Africa. MG Africa, 19 Dec. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.
I love your conclusion, especially the comparison of fertile crops with barren land. I learned about the drought and its effects on the South African population. What can the government do in order to curb its effects?
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you related the drought back to California in your second paragraph to be able to really see the relative impact Africa's drought has. I learned about the severity of the drought. What can people in Africa and from other countries do to relieve the drought?
ReplyDeleteI found the passage about the inconsistency of the hydroelectric dams really interesting! It really is unfortunate how less water leads to a crop shortage, and the crops from the previous year have already been used up....Other than the hydroelectric dam, are there other ways of obtaining water and electricity, that could be more consistent?
ReplyDelete