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What is climate change?

It is a change in the natural climate of the earth, which currently means that the earth is getting hotter. The earth’s temperature needs to be kept constant for life to exist, but over the years, this natural balance has been affected. Usage of coal and oil has increased since the industrial revolution, releasing more gases into the atmosphere and causing the earth to warm up - a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. This affects the climate and has a direct impact on people’s lives.

Why does it matter?

More extreme weather patterns means more lives are lost. Climate change is thought to be leading to an increase in the number of natural disasters and the extent of the damage they cause. In some parts of the world it is leading to heavier and prolonged rainfall causing floods, while other areas have become much hotter and drier, leading to drought and food shortages. The warmer weather is also melting the glaciers and leading to an increase in sea levels, which will cause increased flooding and displace millions of people. Experts predict the temperature of the earth will rise between two and six degrees by the end of the century, with catastrophic effects around the world.

Who does it affect?

The negative effects of these changes will fall disproportionately upon the world’s poorest communities - those who already struggle to feed themselves, who regularly suffer from devastating natural disasters and whose public services are unable to meet the needs of the population. Climate change will lead to more inequalities in health care, access to food, clean water, and other resources, and will even reverse the positive steps toward development that many countries have taken.

What will happen if there are more droughts?

Farmers in tropical and subtropical areas are largely dependent on rain to grow crops. These crops are sensitive to changes in the climate; a decrease in rainfall, along with poor quality soil (caused by over farming and desertification) and extreme weather will make it almost impossible for these farmers to grow enough food to feed themselves and make a living.

In Africa, agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the continent’s employment. The U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) predicts that within 40 years, the crop yields of sub-Saharan Africa will be cut in half due to climate changes and desertification. This process is already well under way and is seriously impacting poor communities.

Drought is also threatening the way of life of many pastoralist communities, which rely on their animals for survival and have always migrated in order to find the best pastures. If these pastures are depleted due to the lack of rainfall, the animals will die, leaving pastoralists unable to survive in the way they have managed to for so many generations.

What will happen if there are more floods?

A rise in the Earth’s temperature may threaten communities living near water sources such as rivers or seas - where the land is fertile and crops can be grown. A rise in sea levels could cause severe flooding that would destroy homes and fertile agricultural land. Billions of people could be forced to migrate further inland and be left with no way of growing crops to feed themselves and their families. Widespread flooding will also contaminate water sources, thus making safe drinking water even scarcer.

How will it impact people’s health?

Climate change brings with it many health risks, including heat-related illnesses and malnutrition caused by food shortages. It also increases the prevalence of serious diseases such as malaria, meningitis and dengue fever. For example, an increase in wetter, warmer conditions will spread malaria to regions where it was previously absent, putting more lives at risk and a massive strain on the region’s health services. The increase in rainfall and flooding is also leaving people exposed to waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery as people have no choice but to drink contaminated water, especially if floods have destroyed local sanitation and sewage facilities.

Could there be more conflicts?

When resources such as food and water are scarce, conflicts between communities, and even between countries, are likely to appear. Pastoralists who move with their animals are completely dependent on the availability of water sources to sustain their herds. As water sources become scarcer, they will encounter resistance from other pastoralist communities also looking for water or from sedentary farmers living near a water source. It is predicted that millions of people may be forced to flee their homes in order to escape the effects of climate change. These ‘environmental refugees’ will need to be given shelter and protection, putting a huge strain on the host communities’ resources and creating heightened tensions and potential for conflict.