It is undisputable that climate variability and change are global phenomena, which have become a big challenge to humankind and how they relate to their immediate environment (IPCC, 2013). Climate change is the change in average weather conditions over a long period of time, whereas climate variability is the annual climate fluctuations above or below a long term average value. Though climate change is a relatively new phenomenon exacerbated by human influence, which threatens the livelihoods, different species survival and ecosystem services (Ceballos et al., 2015). However, climate variability has always affected households in the past. Admittedly, as the impacts of climate change are becoming more pronounced, they may have adverse environmental …show more content…
It lies between latitudes 18° and 27° S with an area of approximately 58200km2 and lies within the sub-tropical areas. The country is characterized by semi-arid climatic conditions and therefore, is highly prone to reoccurring droughts, sporadic rains among other natural hazards. Botswana heavily relies on agriculture as an economic activity and a livelihood option for a greater part of its population (Masike and Urich 2008). However, this agriculture is underpinned by smallholder farming and most predominant in rural areas. Both the arable and livestock farmers faced with climate variability have to make decisions on how best to curb their crops and/ or livestock from harm and ensure that there is enough food or income generated from their agricultural ventures. However, with arable and livestock production both predominantly rain-fed and the challenge of persistent limited rainfall (Batisani and Yarnal, 2010), require sound decision making, which could either result in adverse or fruitful implications in household food security. It is therefore crucial for farmers to have precise and reliable forecasts to guide their decisions and activities including planting dates, mating livestock, harvesting dates etc. (Ziervogel, 2001). Thus, predetermining the rainfall timing, distribution and duration by predictions have proven to be key among agro-pastoralists in semi-arid regions (Masinde and Bagula, 2011; Mogotsi et al., …show more content…
The department is responsible for monitoring and using Global Circulation Models (GCMs) by downscaling to local levels to predict the local weather, seasonal and climate updates and changes (Kenabatho et al., 2012). The forecasting largely focuses on daily temperatures and seasonal rainfall predictions. Since the department launched, there has been improvements in accuracy, however there are still challenges in the usage or trust of the forecasts by communities (Batisani and Yarnal, 2010). This has led to the meteorological forecasting more predominant and preferred by the community (Mogotsi et al., 2011). However, other studies indicate that there is still skepticism around the use of the meteorology due to the lack of usage can be linked to different individuals’ different experiences prior to this technological system, lack of trust or knowledge. In most instances, most rural household demonstrate an understanding of ecosystem and complex ecological landscapes which they utilize to generate their indigenous knowledge systems that inform and develop traditional farming systems (Mogotsi et al. 2011). Like Mungoshi (1975) insinuates, elderly people are very observant of their surroundings even though we currently use technology, it doesn’t mean that they don’t make their own observations. Communities have generated climate related knowledge
It is obvious that the community has been the source of some of the most creative and successful practices that have been proven to weather the problems of climate change. Henry Hurage, who is a farmer from Kenya, convinced 300 other farmers to follow practices he had learned in England. The result was that this particular group of farmers were the ones who fared the best when a drought had hit the area. They also became more self-reliant (McKibben, 2011). This is only one of the many examples of "experimental" innovations that communities all over the globe are adopting. However, whil...
In recent decades, the contentious issues surrounding climate change and the corresponding effects it likely exerts upon contemporary civilization has developed to become one of the most pressing areas of concern afflicting humanity (Armstrong, 1). Currently, climate change has started to demonstrate its potentially calamitous consequences upon human subsistence practices, and has even begun to alter the very environments that entire societies reside in, theoretically endangering them in both instances (Armstrong, 1). Though the hindrances inherent in climate change are potentially devastating to the preservation of modern society, the problem of climate change itself is not one that is exclusive to the contemporary era. Rather, the harmful
Antarctic’s ice melt and accelerating sea level rise, the growing number of large wildfires, intense heat wave shocks, severe drought and blizzards, disrupted and decreased food supply, and extreme storm events are increasing to happen in many areas world wide and these are just some of the consequences of global warming. The fossil fuel we burn for energy coal, natural gas, and oil plus the loss of forests due to disforestation, in the southern hemisphere are all contributors for climate change. In the past three decades, every single year was warmer then the previous year and the warmest 12 years were recorded since 1998. We are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide and trapping the heat and recently, the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere reached 400 pmm. Not just environmental issues are rising due to carbon dioxide increase but more and miscellaneous issues are appearing as climate change becomes more severe. For example, regional models and local analyses agree that Mongolia has become noticeably warmer and the climate change effect is damaging their millennial of historic nomadic lifestyle and even came to the peek of extinction. The Mongolian nomadic pastoralists became highly vulnerable to many an unusual climate impacts and extreme temperature fluctuation that have led to inadequate pasture land and loss of enormous number of livestock, often faces hostile environmental conditions that led o entrenched pastoral poverty. This essay focuses on how the climate change impacts the qualitative and quantitative value of indigenous culture and nomadic life style, and how the economy struggles in the magnitudes of massive migration of nomads to urban area while it fails to value t...
The causes of climate change are also known to them that though it is not only the human action playing role but it is the main cause of climate change. The effects of climate change does include harm and loss of environment and organisms but it also has impact on the human health. Semenza (2014) displays an assessment report which states that throughout the 21st century, the rapidly occurring climate change will lead to increase in number of humans with ill health in many regions mainly in those of developing countries where citizens face low income. Semenza (2014) also mentions how there are physiological limits to intense heat exposure and the global climate change will turn some parts of the world which are currently highly populated into uninhabitable even if the global temperature rises by 7 degrees Celsius. Johnson (2014) states how El-Niño-related hydroclimate variability will lead to being intensified under global warming mainly in areas as southern Asia which are already stressed by different droughts, floods, and crop yields. Dettinger, Udall, and Georgakakos (2015) mentions how climate change puts risk and threat on water resources in the western United States to an extent that no other part of the country matches it. Dettinger, Udall, and Georgakakos (2015) also states how recent research and studies strictly point a limited number
How would you like to live in a home that is beginning to fall apart, but only to go on about your day and continue to neglect it until it all comes crashing down? Humans and animals share this beautiful planet that we call home. But this beautiful home of ours is being regularly and increasingly torn apart by our own ignorant actions. These actions of ours have begun to unravel the very world in which we live, causing a self-inflicted crisis known as Global Climate Change. Global Climate Change is a severe dilemma, and it is continuously becoming more evident to the world’s population that climate change is being caused by changes in the reflectivity of earth’s atmosphere and surface, the ever changing variations of energy from the sun reaching the earth, and the daunting increase in greenhouse gasses.
"Beyond Bias and Barriers, and Implications for the Society." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 91.7 (2010): 954-. ProQuest. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.
Climate change has become of the world’s major issue today. The earth’s climate is always changing in a very fast and also in different ways. Climate changes affect our lives psychologically, emotional and also physically. Climate change is defined as a long term change in the earth’s climate, especially a change due to the increase in the average atmospheric temperatures. Due to this change in temperature, a lot of changes has occurred in our environment, these changes include rising sea levels, flooding, melting of polar ice caps, hotter days, colder nights and heat waves. These climate changes plays an important role in shaping our natural ecosystem, our human economics and also the most important, it affects the human race. For
The evidence of climate change in Kenya is undeniable, while its effects on economic growth are no more mysterious; rather, they are rapidly unfolding to a startling reality and concern for humankind. Accelerated emissions of green house gases (GHGs) globally, from combustion of fossil fuels and unsustainable land use practices is the key driver of anthropogenic climate change.
It’s likely that climatic change will impact rural communities in various ways as compared to urban areas due to a number of aspects containing the categories of occupations that are common, poverty levels and demography. “Climatic gap” refers to the lowe...
The Earth is currently locked in perpetuating spiral of climate change. While the global climate has unarguably been changing since the dawn of it's manifestation, the once steadied ebb and flow of climate change has become increasingly more unpredictable.The risk of rising sea levels, and drought plaguing the fresh water supply, during the time that flooding and sporadic storm conditions turn once fully inhabited regions into uninhabitable death traps. Climate change catalyzed by human's increased production of carbon dioxide, is more noticeable than ever in our recorded history (United States, 2014 National Climate Assessment). Thankfully however, with the changing weather conditions due to carbon related emissions, the change in public opinion about their personalized influence on climate change is also increasing. Kevin Liptak Jethro Mullen, and Tom Cohen note that In reaction to the most recent governmental report on climate change, even the U.S. government believes that a stronger approach needs to be taken to correct our self-generated cataclysm.
Hardy, J. T. Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. New York: J. Wiley, 2003. Print.
Climatologists are scientist who study climate. The global warming debate has created tension between climate scientist and meteorologists especially weather forecasters on television. Climatolo...
According to the Canada’s Action on Climate Change, Climate change is a long-term shift in weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. Climate change can involve both changes in average conditions and changes in variability, including, for example, extreme events. Climate change is one of the biggest crisis in the earth. It will cause a huge damage to the eco-system and human. We are the victims of the climate change. However, we are the one who cause the climate change.
Although systems have been looked at, South Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change because, amongst other things, a large proportion of the population live in abundance to poverty and have low resilience to extreme weather. With already a low and variable rainfall pattern, predictions testify that by 2050 areas will be experiencing extremely high temperatures in Spring, Summer and some parts of Autumn with Winter experiencing rapidly decreasing temperatures below -65 degrees Fahrenheit. It will also become drier and hotter affecting agricultural production and biodiversity distribution. Saving and conserving fresh water now will ensure that in times of drought and extreme weather, people will have other alternatives to turn to especially with the amount of rainfall to be expected in the adjoining future.
The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...