• Meteorological expert Paul Oloo said the continent's over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, frequent droughts, high poverty levels and inequitable distribution of resources makes it highly vulnerable.
• Oloo, the Kisumu County Meteorology Officer, observed that Kenya is already food insecure because it has been receiving rains that could not sustain crop growth.
Image: LOISE MACHARIA
Africa will bear the brunt of climate change which is characterised with unreliable and unpredictable rainfall, variable temperatures, prolonged droughts, floods and crop failure.
Meteorological expert Paul Oloo said the continent's over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, frequent droughts, high poverty levels and inequitable distribution of resources makes it highly vulnerable.
"Rains are either coming early or late, sometimes they are storms that last only a few days or weeks while the temperatures are extremes of highs and lows," he said.
Oloo, the Kisumu County Meteorology Officer, observed that Kenya is already food insecure because it has been receiving rains that could not sustain crop growth.
Speaking during a Media Café organised by Africa Uncensored, Oloo said cases of human-wildlife conflict were on the rise due to encroachment of non-agricultural lands by farmers and pastoralists.
He said emerging pests and diseases in field crops and livestock, shrinking or swelling of lakes and river levels and the spread of malaria into highlands were also results of climate change.
While demystifying climate change to journalists, he said greenhouse gases (GHGs) were the main cause of global warming because they absorb and keep the heat in the atmosphere.
He said the earth surface temperature without greenhouse gases would be negative 18 degrees centigrade instead of the current 15 degrees centigrade.
Oloo explained that destruction of trees, logging and charcoal burning, overgrazing and encroachment on riparian land were some of the sources of GHGs because trees and shrubs absorb carbondioxide.
"Clearing and burning of bushes along riparian land, increasing the number of livestock which either feed on or destroy shrubs, logging and charcoal burning is very bad for the environment,” he said.
Oloo also blamed poor agricultural practices, burning crop residue, misuse of agro-chemicals and nitrogen fertilisers for contributing to the climate crisis.
He said climate change was now a reality and the most serious threat to sustainable development locally, regionally and globally.
The scientist appealed to the media to educate audiences and mobilise action to confront climate crisis adding that everyone could play a role by sharing solutions and advocating for change.
"It is important for the media at the national and local level to know their audiences and frame their messages accordingly for their respective targets to relate to the cause,” he said.
He cautioned the media against fomenting hopelessness and despair and advised that they interest their audience to act against the crisis.
"It is vital to equip individuals with accurate scientific facts, the short history of climate change, parties that have the responsibility to act, their range of power and what they can do as individuals to contribute to a better world," Oloo said.
He noted that climate journalism was rights-based because climate crisis hits hardest on the most vulnerable yet they contribute the least to the crisis.
"The ones who have the capacity to avoid the catastrophic results of climate change are the biggest contributors to the crisis,” he said.
Oloo’s sentiments come at a time when Africa is hosting the Conference of Parties (COP27) in Sham El-Sheik, Egypt.
Urgent climate change issues affecting the continent such as pollution, loss and damage, drought, floods, food insecurity and carbon credit and financing are likely to be discussed at the conference which has been dubbed the ‘African COP’.