The impact of climate change has already been clearly felt both in urban and rural communities as it has become an inevitable unfolding due to various reasons including the ever expansion of industrialization.
True, though hopes are rising, everyone doesn’t care about giving due attention to the environment. Besides, the traditional harmful ecological practices applied by local people are much more exacerbating the effect of global warming.
Scientific data on environment, health and climate are provided where available with a view to describing changes that are occurring so as to help in the development of adaptive strategies that encourage community health and resilience.
This piece tries to describe an assessment of climate change relating to health effects in Ethiopia particularly in the rural parts.
Potential health effects of global warming include damage to health infrastructure related to erosion and permafrost thaw and food insecurity.
Nowadays, it has been common to hear about natural disasters directly or indirectly related to climate change such as flash flood or earthquake as well.
Undeniably, the world is now highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Many places in both developing and developed nations across the globe have been seriously affected by the negative impacts of climate change emanating from the rising of temperature, the occurrence of recurrent droughts and other manifestations of climate change and other related catastrophes.
And these occurrences ultimately lead to famine and widespread disruption of socioeconomic well-being of the community in the world.
As learned from sources and reports of various states, the impact of climate change has seriously caused global warming and other irreversible damages of nature.
A number of factors are challenging the planet’s capacity to cope with a range of impacts of climate change. These include poverty, illiteracy and lack of skills, weak institutions, limited infrastructure, lack of technology and information, low levels of primary education and health care, poor access to resources, low management capabilities and armed conflicts. The over exploitation of forests, the alarming rate of population growth, desertification and land degradation also pose additional threats.
Evidently, climate change is an added stress to already threatened habitats, ecosystems species and agricultural production in Africa. Agricultural production relies mainly on rainfall for irrigation and will be severely compromised in many African countries, particularly for subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ethiopia is not an exception. Like the rest of the developing countries, it has been affected and is vulnerable to climate change. Yes, the frequent drought, the heat wave and rain pattern changes of the country are good examples.
Adaptation to climate change in developing countries is vital and needs to be given urgent priority.
Although climate change impacts are full of uncertainties, in many developing countries, there is sufficient information and knowledge about strategies and plans to implement adaptation activities now.
Many countries have now devised potential solutions to the problems created due to the impacts of climate change. For instance, organizations like Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority were set up in a bid to improve and enhance the health and quality of life thereby promoting sustainable social and economic development through sound management and use of natural, human-made and cultural resources.
And the environment as a whole needs to be well protected as every activity is being carried out in and around it definitely without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, indeed.
These bodies are thus in charge of formulating policies, strategies, laws, and standards, which foster social and economic development in a manner that enhances the welfare of humans and makes environmental safety sustainable.
And the government has attached great significance to adaptation action. To this effect, it has conducted various forums to discuss draft programs of adaptation to climate change effects.
It would be possible to reduce the climate change effects if we properly managed the land and human resources, capital and technology at hand, of course, through joint efforts.
Recently, the Center for International Forestry Research has organized a two-day communications workshop in Addis Ababa to share and develop communications experiences and skills.
A number of participants ranging from scientists conducting research on forest and climate change; practitioners implementing policies and programs on forest and climate change and communicators and journalists and communication specialists addressing environmental and forestry issues also took part in.
Speaking on the occasion, Natasha Elkington an Independent Media Journalist who was one of the communications trainers on a topic entitled “Let us Talk trees: Change Our Language, Change Our World ” said that reducing emissions, deforestation and forest degradation is a crucial issue to be given due attention across Ethiopia.
According to Natasha, the global community must stand in unison on this single most important challenge facing humanity and put more and more pressure on governments and stakeholders to be very serious about climate change.
Natasha further noted that to sustain growth that improves the lives of all Ethiopians, the nation needs an economic transformation that taps into its fertile land, extensive forests, and the energy and ingenuity of its people.
S i m i l a r l y, C a h y a n i n g t y a s Anggrita, form Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) underscored that forests, from complex ecosystems to monoculture plantations, are in high demand.
Anggrita stressed that the plantations have a growing array of stakeholders including local communities and multinational organizations that have varying degrees of power and often, conflicting agendas.
She added that good forest management is essential to supporting and balancing stakeholders’ needs while protecting the sustainability of forests and their goods and services.
She further accentuated that it involves consideration of how decisions are made, who is responsible, how authority is exercised and what accountability processes are in place.
During the occasion, the scientists and researchers underscored that Agriculture must be at the heart of transformation.
According to the scholars, the vast majority of Ethiopians continue to live and work in rural areas, principally as smallholder farmers.
In the absence of a flourishing agricultural sector, the majority of the citizens will be cut adrift from the rising tide of prosperity.
To achieve such a transformation, Ethiopia will need to overcome the major obstacles including land degradation.
It was further indicated that the Trees and the shrubs-planting program has transformed degraded and deforested land across the nation as it has planned to restore a wide acre of hectares by 2030.
Hereby the outputs from different international meeting highlighted that the most effective adaptation approaches for developing countries are those help address a range of environmental stresses and factors.
Likewise, “if we want our strategies and programs to help us meet poverty, enhance food security and water availability, combat land degradation and loss of biological diversity and ecosystem services, coordinated efforts need to be exerted.”
Such initiatives require a new transfer of technology and funds, systematic planning and sustained funding sources as Ethiopia faces limitations in terms of both human capacity and financial resources which make adaptation difficult.
“Unless we address Climate change effects systematically with diligent and coordinated efforts, we will be hard hit and unable to recover from the blow of Climate change effects.”
Accommodating climate change will also entail adjustments and changes at every level from community to national and international levels. Ethiopians must entertain adaptation of appropriate technologies with traditional knowledge, and diversify their livelihoods to cope with current and future climate stress.
Local coping strategies and traditional knowledge need to be used by the government and local interventions taking national context into account. To make adaptation measures more workable and effective, ministries and governments, as well as institutions and non-governmental organizations must consider integrating climate change adaption guideline in planning and budgeting at all.
The rise in global temperature is of great concern for all of us on the planet for it will – and has already started – putting the required aspects of the human race at great risk. It is also obvious that increasing temperatures – as well as extreme weather events – have a very negative effect on production.
Climate change is the biggest threat to the overall business of the world at large industry. If everyone doesn’t prepare themselves, they are heading for a big disaster. Climate change is also increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, as more energy is trapped in the atmosphere.
Yes, reducing its impact as much as possible is becoming a call for urgency, indeed.
Herald May 3/2019
BY KASSAHUN CHANIE
