Our Environment

The environment means what surrounds us. These comprises of living things like plants, animals, insects, microscopic organisms and non-living things like rocks, soil, water etc. There are many challenges whenever people fail to become accustomed to their environment. Due to climatic change, many people especially farmers are struggling to adapt to the current environmental conditions. This has lead to many challenges, which includes:

FOOD INSECURITY.
Some areas are becoming too hot for certain crops and animals to survive. This situation makes people move from one place to another in search of food. It has also become too thorny to practice irrigation since there is inadequate water to do so. As per the [JOTO AFRICA ISSUE 1] Sub-Saharan Africa [SSA] is the most food insecure region in the world.

LIMITED WATER ACCESS.
Due to intensive destruction of water catchments areas; vast area are increasingly becoming drier and drier. The little rain received is inadequate because trees, which play a vital role by attracting, rain have bean cut down. Seasonal rivers, which provide water for irrigation, livestock and all domestic purposes, have dried up! Deforestation and limited water in the resources has affected the hydrological cycle. Hydro Electric Power (H.E.P) generation will be affected leading to failure in some industries and other sectors.

POVERTY.
When the crops and livestock fail to survive, livelihoods of people reliant on
Region is reduced to zero, since they rely on water for food production and income. According to JOTO AFRICA ISSUE 1, Kericho, Kenya’s Rift valley province has increased in temperature by 3.5 decrees during the past 20 years. This has been because of increase of Carbon (IV) Oxide in the atmosphere.

According to the newsletter, Africa is the most vulnerable to the impact of change because of widespread poverty and low levels of technical limits adoption capabilities. To eliminate these problems, Africa has to come up with the following solutions:

Afforestation which is planting of trees in a new land, must be done rather than deforestation (cutting down of trees) to protect water and food shortages.
Charcoal burning needs to be reduced as it emits a lot of Carbon (II) Oxide into the atmosphere.
Planting techniques: People must switch to drought tolerant and first maturing crops, which are adapted to the environment.