Global warming is quickly becoming one of the biggest threats to long-term survival of wildlife.
The Kenya Wildlife Service yesterday said new hot spots of human-wildlife conflict have emerged as a result of the effects of climate change. Spokesman Paul Gathitu said Makueni is one of the hot spots.
He spoke a day after the Kenya Meteorological Service released a three-month forecast showing the possibility of human-wildlife conflict occurring as a result of scramble for scarce resources. On Monday, Kenya Meteorological Service acting director Peter Ambenje said with adequate preparation, the country can avoid some of the negative impacts by taking advantage of the short rains expected.
Gathitu said even though they have not seen the forecast,they will use it to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
“They have not given us the report but we will consider it as we plan for La Niña,” he told the Star on the phone.
La Niña episodes represent periods of below average sea surface temperatures across the east-central Equatorial Pacific. It impacts the global climate and disrupts normal weather patterns, which can lead to intense storm in some places and drought in others.
Human-wildlife conflict has been reported in Tsavo, Narok, Laikipia, Lamu, Kajiado and Meru.
The weather man said rainfall is expected to be distributed poorly as a result of ocean warming.
Ambenje urged urged government agencies to liaise with livestock farmers. “Close monitoring and contingency measures are necessary to cope with the situation,” he said. According to the forecast, Western, Nyanza and parts of southern Central and the North Rift will get near normal rainfall.