THE CLIMATE CHANGE REPERCUSSIONS
By definition, the United Nations refers Climate change as:
“…Unusual weather patterns and temperatures characterized with longterm shifts affecting the natural global eco systems triggered by indiscriminate human activities of burning fossil fuels i.e. gas, coal and oil whose detrimental emissions comprising heat trapping gases have been building up since the 1800s to date…’’ (Paraphrased) IN recent times, substantial discussions on the altered weather patterns as a result of climatic variations globally have been held at high level following the birth of the United Nation’s initiative of an autonomous conference of parties (COP) forum drawing membership from both the western and third world nations.
To date, unless otherwise, annual gatherings have been held with venue rotations since 1995 for intensive analyses: planning, commitments and wide brainstorming sessions on the subject matter. Evidently, weather wise: the natural ecological systems have been compromised due to many factors that are alluded to and largely caused by man-made disturbances that have affected the natural state of mother earth.
Scientific research indicates that pollutant emissions in gaseous form from a wide range of sources especially generated by the western world have affected the earth’s ozone layer by inhibiting its normal processes with grave agitation over time. In defiance of the scientific evidence, repeated advice, caution and wisdom; humanity has continued to aid the process of global warming knowingly in pursuit of business opportunities and profits until now when the adverse effects are in force globally and continue to influence the general well-being and life of earthly living organisms including humans. In the context of a world view, humans have continued to use their superior intellectual capacity to manipulate the earth ignoring that humans too are in fact also subordinate to nature. At this rate, if no serious measures are employed especially by the western world, the negative effects will continue to manifest in so many diverse ways: the worst is yet to come. Specifically, the abnormalities caused have resulted into seasonal weathers and temperatures being extreme with noted diversion from the usual norms by meteorological standards irrespective of Weather type.
In Zambia today, this characteristic has been observed notably since the 2021/22 rainy season when serious flash floods began to be experienced. During this season (2022/23), the flood
ing has further been made worse by the unanticipated tropical cyclone dubbed “Freddy” with wind velocities averaging 150 - 320 Km/ hr. A category 5 alert level denoting a warning of extreme potential damage has since been issued at high level UNDP with government backing. Although the epicenter was elsewhere, the cyclone’s aftershocks has induced torrential rains, flash floods, strong winds; high temperatures etc. These have suddenly come into play catching many communities with shock and surprise. Meanwhile, a second wave is reportedly in the making. All the communities affected have suffered heavy losses in flood damages of generic impact on the socio-economics, environment and physical sustainability.
Furthermore, the prevailing floods’ impact has been grave on agro-ecological region 1 in particular, the southern province that has suffered colossal losses and human/livestock. Emergency relocations to higher grounds as a result of the unbearable flood magnitude had to be executed for the affected. An occurrence never experienced before by the low gradient terrain inhabitants has left many families traumatized from the ordeal.
Meanwhile, founded on swampy land and prone to flooding, most of the residential areas of Lusaka city have equally experienced a rise in the usual flooding this time around. The previously relatively safe zones have experienced serious flooding as has been the case of Kamwala South clearly exacerbated by the increase in poor land-use practices around most of the city’s residential areas. Apart from the flood episodes, there are parts of the country that have equally
suffered other forms of adverse weather conditions. For instance, incidents of unusually strong wind pressure on infrastructure buildings resulting into blown-off roof tops and collapsed walls due to inundation in the absence of flood proofing have been experienced almost countrywide.
From the outlook above, the greatest challenges facing us today specifically on floods are:
Poor land-use protocols and the lack of compliance to building codes by the communities probably because of the overwhelmed policy enforcement systems at the local government authority level.
For social scientists to design community based organs that will effectively Embrace collective responsibility and action in addressing not only the flood Disaster but all forms of disasters to foster allround sustainability. For physical and biological scientists to define more clearly, the limits and interactions within ecosystem biosphere so as to develop technologies that are appropriate in mitigating the climate change variables and subsequently facilitating in building consensus and progressive agenda at all the stakeholder levels
For multidisciplinary teams of technocrats to undertake flood risk analysis as a means to expertly assess the flood levels including the associated hazards depicting the range of flood events.
Whilst in search of short, medium and long-term home-grown solutions to the increasing phenomenon probabilities, all efforts must be made to propagate and instill all round responsibility especially for the many vulnerable communities at risk to disaster. The call transcends all the present day social clusters. Regrettably, this has been amiss and a blame game of a partisan political nature ensues every time a disaster strikes oblivious of the several man-hours that are lost in timely emergency response action. It is only through unity and one umbrella that the communities at risk could eventually become resilient with developed capacity to with-stand future disasters irrespective of type. Preparedness remains a wise option given that the floods will definitely recur.
Critical thinking
What are the pros and cons of undertaking a thorough hydrologic analysis for all flood prone areas in relation to the human pressures? What are the pros and cons of establishing institutions for regulating population size and land use with a view of mimicking nature?