Adapting to Kenya's changing climate with the help of BIDII
Christian Aid and climate change
Christian Aid, as a member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, is pressuring the government to do more on climate change. Here, Andrew Pendleton, the charity's climate expert, presents the facts and explains why we must act now.
Sixty-year-old Kithaka Kimomo has on the face of it one of the most serene working environments in the world. His land is perched on the side of a hill in Kwamwalyo, close to the town of Machakos in Kenya. As he works he enjoys stunning views across the valley below. But in spite of its beauty, Kimomo has a disturbing story to tell about his land.
‘Rain patterns have changed,’ he says. ‘It doesn’t rain well any more, it’s hotter and the water in the soil evaporates more quickly.’ As a result, he explains, crop failure is more frequent because staples such as maize require a good supply of water. ‘It’s like the sun has come closer to the earth,’ he adds.
In a terrifying way, he is right. A build up of industrial gases such as carbon dioxide have built up in the earth’s atmosphere in recent years, trapping the suns heat inside and warming the planet – the sun has, in effect, come closer. And this, scientists are convinced, causes changes in the climate.
‘Rain patterns have changed,’ he says. ‘It doesn’t rain well any more, it’s hotter and the water in the soil evaporates more quickly.’ As a result, he explains, crop failure is more frequent because staples such as maize require a good supply of water. ‘It’s like the sun has come closer to the earth,’ he adds.
In a terrifying way, he is right. A build up of industrial gases such as carbon dioxide have built up in the earth’s atmosphere in recent years, trapping the suns heat inside and warming the planet – the sun has, in effect, come closer. And this, scientists are convinced, causes changes in the climate.
It's happening – right now
Climate change is not a future shock, it is no longer something for our children to grapple with. Because while we may leave them to cope with its most extreme ravages, climate change is already happening.
There are many factors that might be affecting the ability of Kimomo to grow his crops effectively. The area has, for instance, been largely stripped of its trees in recent years, which is likely to affect rainfall patterns. But the global picture of climate change suggests that what Kimomo is experiencing is going to become more common and severe.
Two recent studies from the UK’s Meteorological Office confirm this. The first, published during the Labour Party conference in Manchester, shows that the average annual temperature in central England has increased by one degree in the past 100 years.
While this is alarming, the second is more profound and for the world’s billion smallholder farmers more disturbing. A two year study of drought, published for the sake of balance during Tory Party conference, looked back over the past 50 years and projected forward 100. It confirms what many living in drought-prone regions already know.
The Met Office’s researchers discovered that globally the area of land experiencing drought has increased from 15 per cent to 25 per cent between 1952 and 1998. Running this trend through climate models they suggest, alarmingly, that by the end of the century this could double to 50 per cent.
And this is a conservative estimate. While the climate model used assumes CO2 emissions will continue to rise, it does not take into account the likelihood of a further acceleration of global warming due to changes triggered by the earth’s already increased heat.
The Met Office’s doubling of drought prediction can be avoided. If government’s accept the science – and they increasingly do – then they must act in accordance with what study after study is now urgently screaming and set targets for huge CO2 emissions reductions. Make no mistake, this will not be easy. But it can be done and we should all get on with it.
There are many factors that might be affecting the ability of Kimomo to grow his crops effectively. The area has, for instance, been largely stripped of its trees in recent years, which is likely to affect rainfall patterns. But the global picture of climate change suggests that what Kimomo is experiencing is going to become more common and severe.
Two recent studies from the UK’s Meteorological Office confirm this. The first, published during the Labour Party conference in Manchester, shows that the average annual temperature in central England has increased by one degree in the past 100 years.
While this is alarming, the second is more profound and for the world’s billion smallholder farmers more disturbing. A two year study of drought, published for the sake of balance during Tory Party conference, looked back over the past 50 years and projected forward 100. It confirms what many living in drought-prone regions already know.
The Met Office’s researchers discovered that globally the area of land experiencing drought has increased from 15 per cent to 25 per cent between 1952 and 1998. Running this trend through climate models they suggest, alarmingly, that by the end of the century this could double to 50 per cent.
And this is a conservative estimate. While the climate model used assumes CO2 emissions will continue to rise, it does not take into account the likelihood of a further acceleration of global warming due to changes triggered by the earth’s already increased heat.
The Met Office’s doubling of drought prediction can be avoided. If government’s accept the science – and they increasingly do – then they must act in accordance with what study after study is now urgently screaming and set targets for huge CO2 emissions reductions. Make no mistake, this will not be easy. But it can be done and we should all get on with it.
We must adapt
But what the studies from the Met Office illustrate is that even if we were magically to turn off all CO2 emissions now, we are still going to get climate change. It will not perhaps be dangerous and very likely won’t lead to global catastrophe, but it will still happen and we must adapt to it.
For the UK, that means conserving water better and not building houses on flood plains. But for poor people in climatically more sensitive regions of the world, adaptation is an wholly different proposition.
It’s also deeply unfair. Poor people have contributed almost nothing to the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In fact, it is largely because of the past 100 years of industrialisation in rich countries that we have climate change. And yet it is poor people who will bear the brunt of its impact.
Their lives are already lived on the precipice, where more extreme weather can push them over. We are no stranger to what then happens – starvation, mass migration, social and political instability.
Kithaka Kimomo is one sense fortunate. His community is working in partnership with BIDII, an organisation funded by Christian Aid, to adapt to the obvious and visible changes in the climate and to the other challenges they face.
Kimomo has terraced his land to prevent the water from running off the surface and he uses leaves as a mulch to cover the surface of the soil in order to slow evaporation. Other community members supply manure to help build up the soil’s capacity to retain moisture and Kimomo tills the soil as little as he can – tilling also causes moisture loss.
BIDII is also working with the Kenyan government’s Agricultural Research Institute to develop new, more drought resistant strains of crops and is attempting to persuade farmers that maize – their preferred staple – may not in the face of climate change be the best crop to grow.
And BIDII’s workers help train members of the community to make money from other work, such as farbric dying and making soap.
For the UK, that means conserving water better and not building houses on flood plains. But for poor people in climatically more sensitive regions of the world, adaptation is an wholly different proposition.
It’s also deeply unfair. Poor people have contributed almost nothing to the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In fact, it is largely because of the past 100 years of industrialisation in rich countries that we have climate change. And yet it is poor people who will bear the brunt of its impact.
Their lives are already lived on the precipice, where more extreme weather can push them over. We are no stranger to what then happens – starvation, mass migration, social and political instability.
Kithaka Kimomo is one sense fortunate. His community is working in partnership with BIDII, an organisation funded by Christian Aid, to adapt to the obvious and visible changes in the climate and to the other challenges they face.
Kimomo has terraced his land to prevent the water from running off the surface and he uses leaves as a mulch to cover the surface of the soil in order to slow evaporation. Other community members supply manure to help build up the soil’s capacity to retain moisture and Kimomo tills the soil as little as he can – tilling also causes moisture loss.
BIDII is also working with the Kenyan government’s Agricultural Research Institute to develop new, more drought resistant strains of crops and is attempting to persuade farmers that maize – their preferred staple – may not in the face of climate change be the best crop to grow.
And BIDII’s workers help train members of the community to make money from other work, such as farbric dying and making soap.
Campaign with us
Helping people such as Kimomo to adapt to the already inevitable impact of climate change will preserve livelihoods and save lives. But there is a limit to the amount of adaptation people can do.
The top priority is to prevent further climate change, which is why Christian Aid is calling for rapid and immediate reductions in carbon dioxide emissions in rich countries. In Britain, according to the latest scientific projections, this may mean that by the middle of this century we will have to be emitting around 80 per cent less CO2 than we were in 1990.
It is important that we don’t forget that people such as Kimomo are already on the receiving end of a changing climate. Because they have not created this crisis and because we have, increasingly we owe them and it’s time to repay that ecological debt.
The top priority is to prevent further climate change, which is why Christian Aid is calling for rapid and immediate reductions in carbon dioxide emissions in rich countries. In Britain, according to the latest scientific projections, this may mean that by the middle of this century we will have to be emitting around 80 per cent less CO2 than we were in 1990.
It is important that we don’t forget that people such as Kimomo are already on the receiving end of a changing climate. Because they have not created this crisis and because we have, increasingly we owe them and it’s time to repay that ecological debt.
 |
|
|
Terms & Conditions © Christian Aid 2007