Earth Day : A Time to Reflect

April 22nd is globally recognised as Earth Day. Celebrated globally to pledge support for environmental protection, this day reminds us the importance of planet earth for our very existence as human beings and the existence of life on land and in water.

 The theme for Earth Day 2021 is ‘Restore Our Earth’. There are various reasons why the earth needs to be restored. There is mass loss of biodiversity, increase in droughts, global hunger and malnutrition, loss of plant species, pollution of rivers and lakes, increased conflict and expanded extraction. In the midst of this mayhem, there is the push for false solutions to the climate crisis. The ecological crisis is getting worse and human economic activity is the main culprit. This is manifested in forms of production such as extractives, overproduction and consumerism. To make the situation even more dire, Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

 The negative impacts of the climate crisis on planet earth has been manifested through drastic changes in rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, flooding, hurricanes and forest fires. Sometimes the forest fires are as a result of natural phenomenon other times they are done by human beings in order to take over land. It is evident that indigenous communities the world over , from the Sengwer in Kenya’s Embobut Forest , to the Ogiek in Mau Forest region , to the San and Khoi Khoi in Southern Africa region, the Batwa in Ituri forest of Northern Congo , the Mashco-Piro in Manu National Park in Peru or the Matses tribe living on the shores that live on the shores of the Yaquerana river.[1] Have been taking care of the environment and living in harmony with the ecosystem , but continuously face accusations of environmental destruction and forceful evictions

 In 2019, the world woke up to the devastating forest fires in Australia, which resulted into Over 18 million hectares have burned in the Australian bushfire season 2019–2020 as of mid-January according to media reports, destroying over 5,900 buildings including over 2,800 homes. In addition to human fatalities, many millions of animals are reported to have been killed[2]. The world’s terrestrial biodiversity is concentrated in forests: they are home to more than 80% of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. So, when forests burn, the biodiversity on which humans depend for their long-term survival also disappears in the inferno and this is compounded by the fact that globally, with over 1 million species currently facing extinction.[3]

Deforestation as huge tracks of land are cleared and soil left uncovered, is a conduit for flooding in that forest cover and vegetation that could have trapped  is absent leaving water to run off. Flooding has been responsible for the death of thousands of Africans, destruction of property, forced relocation and loss of crops as farm produce and livestock get swept away by raging water. For example, in Kenya, the 2020 heavy rains resulted into of 40,000 being rendered homeless after the Nzoia river burst its banks in May 2020, one farmer lost farm produce covering 200 acres of farm produce which included maize, beans, kales and tomatoes[4] , such losses were also experienced by other farmers across the country. During flooding, infrastructure that is very important for day to day survival is also destroyed, these include roads and bridges which are key in enabling movement of people and services. When it floods  men and women engaged in petty trade can no longer carry out their day to day activities. This not only affects consumers of products and services but also families which depend on petty traders for survival. When a local market in the village is flooded, women cannot sell their wares, this means that household food is disrupted, payment of school’s fees and other basic necessities such as books is also affected. In Southern Africa in 2020 for example, flooding was reported in Tshwane, Gauteng with roads and bridges damaged and cars were floated in water[5].In the Rift Valley region, flooding brought about by rising water resulted into closure of businesses including hotels, displacements, deaths and loss of livelihoods.

In Southern Africa region, cyclone Idai caused devastating havoc in Beira city in Mozambique in March 2019 resulting into heavy rains and flash flooding killing hundreds of people, massive destruction of property and crops. Come April 25th, Cyclone Kenneth ravaged northern Mozambique. This further affected 2.2 million people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi combined[6].in Tanzania in East Africa, in March 2020, 3500 houses and 6600 hectares of farms were swept away by flash floods in Rufiji district in the coastal region of the country[7] .

 Fall army worms , a phenomenon related to climate change heavily affected African countries of Kenya, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Egypt, India, Kenya, Malawi[8], according to FAO , According to FAO's estimates, the pest is putting at risk up to 80 million tonnes of maize worth $18 billion per year in Africa, Asia and the Near East[9].Fall Army Worms is a phenomenon of climate change. These pests appear after periods of severe drought[10] .Climate is continuing to change and become more unpredictable. This makes pests able to thrive in areas that previously they could not thrive. The pest crisis happening today around the world is also as a result of loss of biodiversity due to a farming system of monoculture. Monoculture has also been responsible for the intensified use of agro-chemicals which end up being released into the atmosphere polluting underground water, soil and air.

 As prolonged drought brings Fall army worms, heavy rainfall is conducive for the breeding of desert locusts[11].Desert locusts can travel 81 miles or more in a day [12] and when they travel in a swarm, the devastation on crops and other vegetation is alarming. As noted by FAO, A single one km2 swarm can contain between 40 million to 80 million adult desert locusts and consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. 

 In Kenya, desert locusts affected 22[13] counties with the first wave arriving in Kenya IN December 2019, affecting 9.4 % of cropland and 6.3% of pasture. The second wave arrived in November 2020. These swarms crossed into Kenya from Ethiopia and Somalia[14]. Other African countries affected by desert locusts in the same period included Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya and Egypt.

Natural resource extraction one of the most pervasive human activity on earth today is a contributor to climate change. This is exacerbated with the discovery of new natural resource. With extraction, comes conflict especially when different forces lay claim to natural resources an example being what is currently happening in Cabo Delgado in Northern Mozambique where 2700 people have been killed and over 700,000 displaced, this according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

The extraction and processing of natural resources (biomass, fossil fuels, metals, and non-metallic minerals) make up half of the global greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to more than 90% of global diversity loss and water stress impacts. In isolation, the extraction and processing of just metals and other minerals is responsible for 26% of global carbon emissions. The global demand for natural resources is at an unsustainable level and yet there is arguably a growing demand[15]. 

The world is in a more dangerous time today more than ever before in relation to climate crisis and environmental challenges. It a wakeup call to embrace system that creates a balance in the ecosystem and ensures resources are used sustainably, this calls for a rethink on consumption patterns by human beings and taking a break to a mode of production that is exploitative to nature, it calls for nurturing biodiversity and bringing back what has been lost from Mother Earth over the years. Yes, it calls for system change the world over.

References

Cover Photo credit @https://pixabay.com/illustrations/planet-earth-cosmos-continents-1457453/

 [1] https://www.aquaexpeditions.com/amazon-river-cruise/amazon-rainforest-tr...

[2] https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/ten-impacts-australian-bushf...

[3] ibid

[4] https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/hundreds-displaced-as-river-nzoia-burst-banks/

[5] http://floodlist.com/africa/south-africa-floods-kwazulunatal-gauteng-nov...

[6] https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2019-cyclone-id...

[7] http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/17/c_138888430.htm

[8]

[9] https://reliefweb.int/report/world/fao-moves-scale-response-fall-armywor...

[10] https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/press/1694/climate-change-and-a-fai...

[11] https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/east-africa-desert-locust-crisis-f...

[12] some species may travel 81 miles or more a day.

[13] List of the affected counties in Kenya are Mandera, Wajir Garissa, Tana River, Lamu, Kilifi, Taita Taveta Kitui, Machakos, Kajiado, Embu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Laikipia, Nyandaru, Murang’a, Baringo, Elgeiyo Marakwet, Isiolo, Samburu and Marsabit.[14] https://www.uonbi.ac.ke/news/desert-locust-situation-kenya