Sustaining a better world.

Adapting to climate change in southern Africa, in policy brief

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:33:00 +0000

Here is a brief I have written on why we need to adapt our food crop farming systems to climate change in southern Africa.

The main points are:

1. It is clear that crops in southern Africa will be negatively affected by climate change
2. The impacts will be more severe as with time. Yields are predicted to decline by 18% in the 2050s and 30% by 2100.
3. Adaptation is vital if we are to protect food crop production and preserve/promote food security in the region.

Suggested policy measures include:

1. Policy makers should engage more with climate scientists, social and economic knowledge.
2. Policies should increase the resilience and reduce the vulnerability of crop production systems and exploit opportunities that may arise from climate change.

The brief can be accessed here:

http://www.fanrpan.org/documents/d01605/Climate%20Change%20Adaptation%20in%20Southern%20Africa.%20Feb%202013.pdf

No band aid solutions for food insecurity in Africa.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 05:21:00 +0000

Africa is still the poster child of hunger and malnutrition on the planet. In fact, Africa is still the poster child of a lot of ills of the world actually. Here is a thought experiment. Humour me. Close your eyes and think of Africa. Allow random images of the continent to cross your mind uninterrupted. Go on, stop reading for 10 seconds and do it. Done? Now give yourself a high-five if those images didnt include a starving child (most likely with a distended stomach, and a couple of flies buzzing around). Another high-five if you didn't see disease and death (HIV and Ebola, if you have a flair for the dramatic). Yet another if those images didn't include war and rape. These are the images that are flighted to represent Africa all around. Unfortunate as it is, thats how it is.

Recently, I have been following a debate on the Band Aid song by a guy called Bob Geldof. He is supposed to have been famous at some time in recent history. I confess I only got to know about him through this controversy. Any way, this here guy wrote a song as part of his anti-poverty efforts in Africa called “do they know its Christmas” back in 1984 and got some popular musicians of that time to sing it to raise money. A remake of it has been done recently in response to the Ebola situation in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. It has some catchy albeit ridiculous lyrics that echo those unfortunate images of Africa. See video below and keep an ear out for these lyrics;

There's a world outside your window,
And it's a world of dread and fear,
Where the only water flowing,
Is the bitter sting of tears,
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom,
Well tonight were reaching out and touching you,
And bring peace to Africa,
Where nothing ever grows,
No rain nor rivers flow,

I have no interest in the lyrics myself, they do not surprise me. I suppose they serve the intends of a song writer's dramatic effect by following the widely held African gloom and doom narrative. Anyway, enough people have challenged Geldof and his ever changing “band of aid” over this. My trigger comes not from the lyrics (although i am certainly not a fan) but rather from a compulsive need to understand the food security challenges in Africa that lead to such songs being written.

Africa has the majority (27%) of the world's undernourished 800 million people because the food systems on the continent are failing to sustain adequate food (quantity and quality) for all on the continent. How did we get here? Here is one of the multitude of reasons why. Lets start with the 1980s, the time period that Geldof and his merry band of “salvation” sang their song. This was a time when the continent was indeed hit by a number of droughts (maybe thats where they were getting the illusion of “nothing ever grows”). In the 1980s, a shift in food systems and agricultural policies occurred. This shift was towards liberal food systems anchored on international trade with restrictions on protectionism. The shift was a response to a reactive ideology on food security brought about by the world food crisis of the early 70s. After the world food conference of 1974, food security was premised on stabilising world food supply and prices and not necessarily on local food self sufficiency. The results of these ideological changes were policies that supported a system of global trade and control of food systems. Food shifted from primarily a source of nutrition as it should be, to a commodity of trade foremost.

If African countries were to be competitive under this new regime of global policy, they needed support. This made sense at the time because we had a continent that either had newly minted countries or countries still fighting wars of liberation from colonisation. As such these countries were not stable enough to be globally competitive, had poor infrastructure and a weak hold on the exploitation of their natural resource base. In comes aid. Yes Mr. Geldof, aid (something you should know a lot about...insert sad poverty song here...). The aid was conditional on commitments to Structural Adjustment Programmmes (SAPs) that demanded that African countries liberalise their agricultural system among other economic activities. This exposed a weakly anchored continent to well established European and American agriculture and economies. From this time, large scale private owned production systems became the drivers of agricultural contribution to food and economic growth through export and agro- industry centered agriculture. Although this ensured an increase in private capital into the food sector, expansion of food choices available to consumers, boosting global food supply, it disenfranchised the poor in Africa by marginalising small scale family farmers. During this period (1980-2000), growth per capita of food production in Africa only grew by 2%, compared to 11% post 2000 and the import-export ratio of agricultural in Africa rose to 1.38 compared to 0.34 in 1961.

So Mr. Geldof, before you write another sad African “salvation” song, you need to realise that aid is not the answer to a lasting solution to Africa's food insecurity challenge. Aid, especially your kind of reactive aid offers only a “band aid” temporary reprieve. Structural Adjustments are part of the problem and structural transformation will form part of the solution. Certainly not the structural changes suggested in the 1980s when you wrote and asked your friends to sing about dry rivers and stinging tears. Try songs about getting a fair deal for African produce on the international market. Better yet, songs about the rights of Africans to socially and culturally appropriate foods. While you are at it, write songs about the rights to protect local African farmers from the dumping of heavily subsidised foreign agricultural produce. Craft hooks around responsible investments and putting a stop to widespread corporate land grabs on the continent. If this sounds boring and lacking a dramatic “dread and fear” angle, thats because it is. But this is partly what Africa needs, not sad or alarmist kumbaya lyrics on pull-at-your-heart-strings backdrop music.

Most importantly, Africa doesn't really need a “savour band”. A shift is occurring. There is widespread understanding of the harm of aid and its accompanying conditionalities. There is a solid appreciation of the harm of neo-liberal policies on agriculture and food security on the African continent. From the early 2000s, agriculture and food systems in Africa have begun to change to ideas that support the right of local populations to determine the kinds of food they farm and consume, superceeding global food demand pressures. Focus is shifting towards household and individual entitlements, something that was largely ignored by the trade and agro-industry centred neo-liberal trade ideas. A shift towards the implementation of this self sufficiency ideology, is underway, something that was planned for but difficult to achieve during the pre-1980 period. African agriculture requires investments that do not undermine these rights and ideas, appropriate technology transfers and innovations, a wholesome science led structural transformation. If we must sing (I do hope we dont have to), and we are sure that the songs that have been sung so far arent working (given we are singing the exact same song 30 years in, albeit for a different cause), why not change to a new tune. A tune that will rally support for lasting food security and sovereignty solutions in Africa, not "band aid" responses.

Feeding a growing population in Africa: Playing Devils’ advocate

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 May 2014 22:54:00 +0000

25 years of sustained research and the IPCC continues to state with ever increasing confidence that climate change is here and here to stay. The worry now (if at all you are worried) is not on whether climate change is occurring but rather on how to mitigate and/or adapt. If you live in a low income country in sub Saharan Africa and you like to eat, this climate change thing could certainly be of interest to you. Yields of food crops of all kinds (maize, sorghum, soya, groundnuts, wheat etc.) are expected to decline by up to 30 % as a result of climate change, as early as the 2030s in some places…just in case you had it in mind to entertain “but I may just be dead and long gone by then” ideas. As for the urban folk, before you decide this isn’t your concern at all, bear in mind that you may end up having to part with a larger chunk of your ever shrinking (what with increasing fuel prices and all) pay checks as food prices rise sharply, driven by shortages.

Populations in low income countries in SSA are expected to double in the 21^st century. Land for producing food is not going to increase (even if it could, that would be ill advised, given that land clearance for agriculture contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)). Degraded soils are not expected to improve. In short, food producers in the poorest region of the world are expected to feed doubling populations with the same increasingly shrinking and degraded lands under uncertain future climates. That’s quite an ask.

As if the task wasn’t hard enough, it is the most vulnerable food producers from which these regions look to provide future food supplies, small holder farmers. Small holder farmers provide food and livelihoods to a large proportion of Africa’s population, 70% of the population These farmers have performed this task with varying degrees of success with limited technologies and poor infrastructure, under poor service provision and harsh policy environments. On average, crop yields in Africa have been stagnant for decades (see figure for maize yields below). Clearly the prospects for future food supply with the added challenge of a changing climate could easily be percieved as unpromising.

In 1960, maize yields in Africa and Asia were the same. Over the years, with adoption of improved technologies (fertiliser, varieties, cultivation methods etc), maize yields in Asia have increased to 4.5 tons/ha while yields in Africa have on average remained constant.

The cynical among us would probably be thinking “oh well it seems this agriculture thing is quite hopeless, why not engage in some other forms of livelihood activities apart from agriculture?” As it turns out, gross domestic product (GDP) growth from agriculture is almost 3 times more effective in reducing poverty than growth from any other sectors of the economy. Furthermore, agriculture contributes up to 30 % to GDP in many countries in Africa, such that neglect of the agricultural sector could have significant negative impacts on economies in Africa and by extension will increase food insecurity and poverty levels. Sadly, or not (depends who is saying) we are stuck with agriculture if we entertain any hopes of lifting large populations in Africa out of poverty. How do you go about lifting large proportions of a population out of poverty via agriculture with unfriendly future prospects?

Green revolution? The green revolution through scientific breakthroughs and improved access to vital inputs greatly improved agricultural production in Asia. It didn’t pick up in Africa then (1960s) and five decades later its still pretty much a non-event on the continent, baring islands of success. Some would say that boat has long since sailed and Africa is standing on the dock unsuccessfully trying to call it back due social, political and economic constraints. World Food Prize winner Gebisa Ejeta writing in “African Green Revolution Needn’t Be a Mirage” figures it is still achievable. Ray of light?

Production system overhaul? Some suggest some sort of an overhaul of the current food production system or at least the use of “radical methods” such as molecular techniques, saline water farming systems etc. as a solution to improving agricultural production. Researchers and development organisations are already struggling to get African farmers to adopt “simple and cheap” well tested strategies (Conservation Agriculture anyone?). Maybe, let’s start there before we get ahead of ourselves with the out-of-the-box ideas? Some wise guy once said, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Could modernising and scaling up already existing “simple” local innovations do the job better?

Investment and Commercialisation? Regularly it has been suggested that if we could make small holder farmers move from semi-subsistence to the more profitable commercial production systems, a large chunk of the ills of a small holder dependent food system will be cured. How do you go on to invest in a production system that is so prone to climate variability and change among other challenges? Do I hear irrigation and insurance systems? Well, all is well and good with small holder irrigation and insurance until you realise that for a future we are uncertain about, large inflexible investments may not be prudent especially when you consider that small holder farmers seldom own collateral or the land that they draw their livelihood from. There is also the volatile global food market and cheap higher quality heavily subsidised European agricultural product to consider as well. If you were a money man, would you be making this sort of investment?

After all is said and done, small holder productivity is not the end and all of African future food supply woes. We still have post production hick ups to deal with (post harvest storage, transportation, markets, policy etc.), conflict (war and instability), corporate land grabs, corruption, diseases…I could go on and on. Whatever direction the continent ends up taking to promote food security, what is quite apparent so far is that if you live in sub Saharan Africa, a great part of your future food depends on a production system that has historically not performed too well, is the most prone to environmental (climate change and variability), social, political and economic pressure and the least capable to cope and adapt. Some prospects eh? Cynicism aside...there are a multitude of examples that demonstrate the potential and ability of the continent to meet its food security needs in the present and the future, talk Malawi and Ethiopia. How can these shining examples be used to shine light for a better more promising future for food on the continent?

Climate change threatens future crop yields in southern Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 12:26:00 +0000

R.Thompson

I have come across a lot of studies dedicated to understanding how climate change can affect crops and food security. What has always caught my eye is the varied results that come from these studies. The suggested impacts vary significantly from one region, country, district and community to the other in such a way that it is difficult to say for sure what the impacts would be. How much are crop yields going to be affected? Where is the highest impacts going to be? what crops are most at risk etc. These are questions that these different studies couldn't satisfy me on. Yet, these studies remain the most solid and authoritative works on climate change, agriculture and food security and therefore the go-to for policy makers, development agencies and governments etc for insight into possible avenues for action to adapt to climate change. What appeared to be a lack of coherence and consistence in these different studies would surely discourage action, i thought. If one study said maize yields would decline significantly yet another says maize yields could increase, that to me simply screamed "We aren't sure what we are talking about, so maybe you [farmer, policy guy, development agency etc.] should just wait and see." These end users of scientific research would be forgiven for thinking "These guys [scientists] need to make up their minds" and sitting on their hands.

Uncertainty about how the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security will unfold is daily bread for scientists. They spend entire careers advancing our understanding of what we dont know about these impacts as a way of being more sure about what we know. However, this may not be of interest to end users who may simply view this as a sign that the science is not yet solid enough to encourage action. This as i found out in a recent study is not the case. There is a strong enough message coming from climate change impact studies on crop production to warrant action.

I carried out a review study with collegues Olivier Crespo and Sepo Hachigonta which was published in the Global and Planetary Change Journal and summarised in a policy brief. The study focused on southern Africa, my home region. Multiple reports have alluded to the fact that this is one of the most vulnerable agricultural regions regions in the world owing to low adaptation capacity, low incomes, high dependence on natural resources and climate dependent agriculture. We sought to investigate this assertion by reviewing multiple studies carried out over the region and drawing an overall picture of what the studies said about the impacts of climate change on crop production in the region.

Map of southern Africa

The message was quite clear. Climate change threatens crop yields in the region. Most important food crops in the region where studied including maize, sorghum, groundnuts, millet, beans and wheat. The most studies crop being maize, the staple crop of the region. The study clearly showed that maize yields would likely decline by up to 18 % by the end of the 21st century. Given the importance of maize in southern Africa, this suggests that food security in the region is under threat from climate change and therefore action towards adaptation is warranted. This is especially so for smallholder farmers that are the most vulnerable to climate induced crop failures. The study also showed that the severity of climate change impacts on crop yields are likely to increase as we move further into the 21st century. climate change impact on crop yields for the early 21st century (up to 2039) was uncertain, on average showing no change in crop yields. Further into the mid century (2050s), crop yields were projected to decline by up to 18 % and even further decline by up to 30 % towards the end of the 21st century.

While uncertainty remains and is clearly highlighted in the study, a consistent message was obtained when studies were viewed as a whole, which suggests crop yields in the region will likely suffer from a changing climate and therefore there is need for adaptive action in southern Africa, especially for vulnerable farming groups like rain dependent smallholder farmers. What remains unclear however is the impact of climate change on crops at the at the local level. The region is too big to make generalisation and therefore further research for particular locations and crops is necessary especially if we are to target smallholder farmers for adaptation. Given this backdrop, a wait and see attitude is not defensible.

Empowering smallholder farmers in Africa out of Poverty

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:10:00 +0000

I came across this Video on Youtube recently. It pretty much sums up my thoughts on loosening the clutch of poverty in rural smallholder farming communities in Africa. I like how roger thurow, author of the book The last hunger season considers the term "hungry farmers" an oxymoron. A hungry subsistence farmer, what could be more absurd? Most importanly i respect the approach to his message. It is a more people based approach, contrary to the usual data and global statistics approach which isnt supported by impactful action. This obssession with stats mostly allows the few success stories to fall through the gaps and remain undocumented or just simply lumped up with the broader perspective. Farmers who are turning their lives around amidst significant challenges through scalable approaches and can be used as beacons of what may be and possibly adopted by other are usually broad brushed under "severely food insecure and undernourished communities." A lot of it as Roger puts it comes from a lack of respect for the ability and potential of smallholder farmers in the region to feed themselves, their communities and the continent as a whole. He even goes as far as encouraging investors to view smallholder farmers as worthy customers who arent "too poor, too remote, too insignificant" from whom good business could be made. The one acre fund was able to recongise that it is not handouts they need but the opportunity to prove their ability by mutually beneficial investment.

Doing away with the unfortunate African development narrative

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:39:00 +0000

I was reading recently about how globally poverty has been on the decline. It got me thinking...really! While this could be true once you bunch all corners of the world together, it couldn’t be more inaccurate the moment you unbundle poverty regionally. 50 years ago, the percentage of people that were living in poverty would have been more that for today. This could simply be because china and a lot of other highly populated Asian countries were in that bracket. The rapid growth of their economies in the recent past would have levelled those figures off, reducing the proportion of the world's population living below the poverty line ($1 a day). In Sub-Saharan Africa, the numbers of people living and being born into poverty have in fact been on the rise. The region has become less and less able to feed its people. The green revolution failed to take off, partly due to slow technology transfer and assimilation, poor human and institutional capacity development and perhaps a region not ready for a science-based development. Clearly the people of this region have a way of sustaining their livelihoods which is rooted in a particular tradition which is hard to uproot. In my mind, improving the lives of people in the region does not lie in disengaging this deep seated way of doing things but rather working with them and improving them where possible. Yet the common narrative has always been that such ways are backward and counter-productive. Lets look at it differently for a minute.

Our measures of development have commonly been economic. The higher a country or region's income, the more developed it is. I have always shied away from this narrative because I think its inadequate. Sub-saharan Africa may be economically behind a lot of other regions, but it is developed in another sense. Take social safety nets for example (off the top of my head of course). In many parts of the region, there are strong social structures that allow a more equitable sharing of resources and wealth (since we are so in love with this narrative) than most other “developed'' regions. This social capital (there I go again) can be used positively to ease a region out of poverty. In a small village somewhere in Africa, a chief is responsible for collecting grain from well-to-do members of the society for redistribution to the less privileged in that community, the elderly, widows and orphans. Further to that, the extended family of these less privileged consider it their responsibility to take care of their poor. If this isn’t development, what is? The African labour force is in my mind a very productive force. it is frequently presented as dwindling as a result of HIV/AIDS. Im thinking, these economically active people plough back most of their resources and earnings into their extended families and communities and less on hard drugs or exotic holidays (im being cynical of course...the point remains). Shouldn’t this be considered an asset to be taped into for developmental purposes? That same sense of responsibility and communal-ism has been known to prop-up failing economies through remittances from the diaspora. Imagine how much more could be done with the same mind-set on stable economies. If I had my way, the description of sub-Saharan Africa as “less developed” would be abandoned for the truer description, “low-income”.

Maybe development initiatives for Africa should first focus on local solutions to local problems. These can be shown up for an assimilation of more “progressive” approaches as known in the common narrative. If local farmers are happy to share the few cattle they have for labour to allow each other to produce food for themselves and the extended community, how much more could be done with better technologies and the same mind-set. I say faster and far reaching development. Cutting out an over-reliance on external funds and aid to allow for the growth and spread of these most basic tenets of a strong social structure will allow an even more useful contribution of whatever external resources the continent has access to. No amount of external resources and support without local initiative and citizen inspired transformative involvement will suffice. It all starts with realising that there is value in the way the African system commonly operates and therefore trying to work with it to achieve the mostly adored “economic” standard of development. I talk of agriculture and poverty almost intricately because in the sub-Saharan African context, economies are strongly tied to an agriculture that is climate depended. The looming threat of climate change seems to suggest in my mind that the foundations of development in Africa need to be dug deep. In this sense, digging deep could mean simply entrenching further the positive constructs of the African system and using them as a basis for tackling a new challenge. In this could be the way for an African upward surge out of poverty into development, economic or otherwise. Not forgetting of course the plethora of challenges the continent is and has experienced that would hinder such progress. Today is a good day, I’m not interested in exploring the gloomy side of things.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Give climate change uncertainty a hug

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:09:00 +0000

I recently moved to a new place for a 6 month research fellowship. There is always that nervous pang you get whenever you are planning to go to a new place. Its more a mix of excitement and fear. Am i going to be comfortable there? Is it going to be anything like home? Even something as small as finding a new barber to do your hair just the way you like it can be quite a trip. We love our comfort zone and the uncertainty of the unknown is always unnerving. Yet, you move anyway and in no time you are enjoying the experience of discovering this new space and what it holds. More often than not, once you are over this initial hurdle of doubt, you realise that the adjustment is not as bad as you had initially imagined it.

This kind of reminds me of the challenge of inaction on the climate change issue. Most of the hurdles to concerted action and investment towards climate change mitigation and adaptation focuses on the uncertainty of the future. This is reasonable of course...i should know, given my own issues with location change. But uncertainty is a part of everyday life isnt it? We deal with it all the time. It hardly ever stops us from making the decisions that are needed and moving forward...unless you are a paranoid schizophrenic of course. Then you bury your head under the covers and whine about how difficult life is while entertaining "they are out to get me" theories swirling around in your head.

In my mind, we have hardly ever had as much information about the decisions we have to take in our lives as we do now on climate change. You would think that by now we would have already "moved," especially with a scientific consensus! Maybe we just dont realise just how difficult such a thing as scientific consensus is. If you have ever followed debates at scientific conferences or the trail of comments in peer reviewed journals, you would know that scientists are always at loggerheads. They hardly agree on cause and effect or solutions, if they do, they are in disagreement on methods. Its more like these guys... see video.

Anyway, now scientists are in agreement (at least most of them...) and still a caution first approach prevails. Researchers Markowitz and Sharrif at the University of Oregon in Nature Climate Change, and in their post on the moral case of climate change think its partly because "Uncertainty breeds wishful thinking."..."Uncertainty about future outcomes generally increases self-oriented behaviour and optimistic thinking... uncertainty also promotes optimistic biases." In short, climate change uncertainty as reported by scientists is usually interpreted as "that doesnt look too bad" or "which is it? Those people (scientists) should make up their minds," thereby leading to inaction. We need to get over this hurdle one way or the other and act. Markowitz and Sharriff suggest packaging scientific evidence in a way that triggers moral concern. I bet even if scientists were convinced to go that way, it will be quite some time before they agree on how to do it.

Shouldnt we just embrace uncertainty and stop sweating the "small stuff"? Stop worrying weather #seewhatididthere? you will find a barber at your new place to do your hair right or not, especially if a group of knowledgable beauty experts agree that there will be enough barbers to choose from and that it is "highly likely" you will find one that suits you.

Addressing Climate change related food security challenges in Rural Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:20:00 +0000

I came across this short documentary on youtube about climate change and how it affects smallholder rural farming communities in Zimbabwe. The documentary was done by Development Reality Institute. It looks at how local communites view climate change, what indegeneous knowledge they use to predict weather and to cope with it etc. In short it brings together what i feel are some of the important entry points to dealing with climate change related food security challenges at the smallholder scale in rural Africa.There are quite a number of interesting issues brought up especially where science meets indegenous knowledge. What i enjoy most is the positivity with which rural communities are progressing under multiple challenges, and how clearly they articulate challenges, needs and expectations regarding climate change and food security. We should listen more.

Egonomics of poverty: "Silly" reasons for hunger and poverty in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:43:00 +0000

courtesy of photobucket.com

Munyaradzi Mufambisi says “If we already know the basic parameters of what needs to be done, why have we allowed hundreds of millions to go hungry in a world that produces more food for every woman, man and child? Bluntly stated, the problem is not so much lack of food as a lack of political will. There is indeed enough food in the world to sustain every person. The problem of hunger is not one of supply but of an economic system based on inequality and a gross concentration of wealth in the hands of the few.”

How I like quoting my friends like world renounced commentators. I pulled this off Munyaradzi’s Facebook profile. In case you are wondering, He is a friend and an economics/finance guy…hence the wealth and economics slant of that argument. More importantly, he is an “ordinary” guy with the concerns of any man (mine at least). This old Facebook post came to mind recently and got me thinking, could there be other reasons for a world going hungry despite producing enough or having the potential to produce enough food for all? I confess, my mind trod as far away as possible from the economics and finance argument of it all. Since I know only enough of that to hold up a conversation with a Taxi rank marshal from Gumbonzvanda (don’t ask). This is what came to mind:

There is a saying by my people, “kufa nenyota makumbo ari mumvura”. Loosely translated, “Dying of thirst while we stand in water.” I thought, there must be at least some things that we are doing to fuel this vicious cycle of hunger and starvation amid plenty (we here referring to Africans/Zimbabweans). Without worrying much about the Global economics, politics, wealth sharing and food distribution argument. What is our part in this?

Could it be a case of the man thinks the water in which he stands is too dirty to drink and so he may die from diarrhoea (which is quite ironic because if he doesn’t drink the water, he is sure to die anyway). Could it be that he doesn’t have a cup and so is too proud to cup his own hands to drink the water. Has the man been given too much of a taste of "Le good life” to make him too proud to go back to the basics in order to save his own life?

Yellow maize popped into my head. Zimbabweans call it “Kenya.” I think because it came from Kenya…I can’t be sure. It is a type of maize that any self respecting Zimbabwean would never grind to make our beloved Sadza (a thick porridge…there is more to it really but for progress’ sake, let us just call it that) come what may. It is maize like any other maize, but the colour is associated with extreme poverty, especially severe famine. The last time I saw a meal made from yellow maize was in 1993. This was around the time Zimbabwe experienced the worst drought of my generation. It is as if Zimbabweans signed a contract with the wind that stated “as of this year, we will never make Sadza from yellow maize again, its too demeaning” and as long as the wind blows, that contract stands! A Zimbabwean will only have his Sadza white or no Sadza at all. We wouldn’t be caught dead eating a meal made with yellow maize. We would rather starve. Such attitudes and beliefs though seemingly petty and trivial to an outsider can easily make or break a well meaning programme to relieve people from the clutches of hunger. Even if all the maize in the world were redistributed, we wouldn’t touch it as long as it was any other colour but white. Our egos won’t allow it.

Another idea popped into my head. How about improved farming technologies? They have worked wonders all over the world (case in point being Asia), why not Africa? Of course there is a whole political, socio-economic argument there, but im shying away from those. I am sticking with the seemingly silly arguments today! It got me thinking, improved technologies have failed in Africa (of course not entirely) not from a lack of trying. In a ridiculously large number of cases, farmers just simply won’t adopt them. Again, there are a lot of political and economic reasons to that too. However if you have as a researcher or development person ever encountered indigenous farmers that simply tell you “this is how we have done things for as long as we can remember and we are not going to change” then you probably know what I am talking about. All scientific reason and evidence will not move such people even if efforts are for their own good. Tradition and history can easily throw spanners in well meaning works to alleviate hunger and poverty. There is a lot that can be learnt from indigenous people (a whole lot) but if locals also continue to resist foreign interventions, simply because our egos won’t let us part with tradition, then progress towards “food for all” will be severely retarded.

How I would love to hear other “seemingly silly” arguments about why there is so much hunger and poverty in the world. Where else on the continent or the world does the “yellow maize” or “we have been doing this for years” mindset persist?

Space has been conquered. What about child hunger?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:46:00 +0000

A picture of a starving child being stalked by a vulture made headline news all over the world in the early 90s. I couldn't have been old enough to know how to cross a busy street let alone solve simple maths problems like 5 minus 8, probably responding with “it cant,” along with a puzzled facial expression. The picture showed a starving Sudanese girl who had just collapsed on her way to a United Nations feeding station. she could hardly move or make a sound. She was that hungry. She had lost control of the use of her limbs and voice, her brain most likely shutting down and her spirit completely broken. She could have been just as old as I was then, and yet, she wasn't grappling with simple childish things like math and street crossing problems. Rather, life and death at the hands of starvation.

Pulitzer prize winning photo by Kevin Carter showing a starving Sudanese child being stalked by a patient vulture.

I have only recently come across this picture through the Bang Bang club a partial dramatisation of this event and the life of the photographer Kevin carter who took the picture. What a sad sight. And yet despite almost 2 decades having gone by since the picture was taken, UNICEF reports that 17000 children die daily from hunger and related illnesses (1 child every 5 seconds!), this picture still holds meaning to this day.

While it is hard to look at the picture without trying to moralise, that debate has since run its course but the timeless message in the picture remains. To me the message is simply, something isn't right. If we can allow little kids to starve to death or even go through life without enough to eat, something just isn't right. In this age of amazing developments, where we have come from smoke signals to video chatting, hunting and gathering to genetically modified food, how can we still be unable to feed every one on the planet? Let alone helpless children. " We" were able to put a man on the moon over 4 decades ago but to this day "we" cant put 3 meals a day in every child's plate. That cant be right.

Is it not the role of every member of society and the whole world to ensure that children are protected and assisted to reach their greatest potential? Well, it should be. Clearly we are not doing what we should be. Could this be because we simply do not care? Have we gotten so carried away in our own luxuries to appreciate the suffering of other people? Yes, challenges exit in the world and particularly Africa which make efforts to feed all people very difficult. Amid all the wars, civil unrest, and political instabilities the starvation of children and young people is still inexcusable. We shouldn’t expect to overcome most social ills on this continent if the young members of our society are hungry. A hungry child cannot learn or do anything productive and is prone to violence. What more, their master becomes whoever offers them food. Imagine what other social ills can come from that.

By saying “feed the hungry”, the world does not ask for a man to be landed on another planet, far from it. Simply that the world cares enough to take the necessary steps to make food available to all people on earth especially the vulnerable and helpless children. It is not easy, thats a given. But genuine concerted efforts to that end are a good start.

If we think always with our minds and never with our hearts, we will lose our humanity.

Courtesy: www.1billionhungry.org/

I came across this anti-hunger campaigns which i think is quite catchy. The I billion hungry movement: I am MAD as hell! Sounds very convincing when you listen to Jeremy Irons say it on this video.

Climate science Vs the old lady with sensitive limbs?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:23:00 +0000

We have an old lady in my village who has mastered the art of weather forecasting to a tee. Her methods are unconventional but she is well respected and trusted in the community. As it turns out, gogo Chagweda can tell the weather to as far ahead as 4 weeks based of her own health. “Ndinonzwa mitezo yangu yorwadza, ndoziva kuti mvura yave pedyo kuuya” (I can tell that the rains will be upon us soon when my limbs start to ache). Of course anyone would be forgiven for laughing this off. Think about it. Limbs and rainfall…really! How would you react to such a claim? Would you not scoff at this statement?

However, whether we believe in the old lady’s methods or not is immaterial. Her community does. For as long as gogo Chagweda continues to make her “forecasts,” scientific forecasts have no value in my village, more so when they do not tally with her predictions. Now that’s quite a pickle for conventional science. Years of scientific research has no chance against an old lady armed with her sensitive limbs, huh? While my village case is a little extreme and slightly cynical (just to illustrate a point of course) example of Indegeneous Knowledge Systems (IKS) , similar situations will most likely exist in African villages. Here communities trust their age old IKS (of which old ladies like gogo Chagweda may be custodians) to conventional science.

Panel discussion on indegeneous knowledge and climate change at COP 17.

So long as science continues to shy away from recognising (and I say this with the greatest amount of care) the value of local knowledge of weather and climate, the work of scientists may continue to be shunned by local communities. Scientific work will continue to play second fiddle to IKS. Given the present and potential future challenges that climate change poses especially to local resource-poor communities, isn’t it vital that conventional science and IKS find some level ground? Shouldn’t they at least start to have a conversation to that end? The way I see it, science needs to do the courting not the other way around. The Maasai certainly think so. Speaking at a side event organised by CTA at COP17, Mosses Ndiayine, Director of the Indigenous Heartland Organisation in Tanzania, a Maasai and full time livestock header said "It’s unfortunate we haven’t been able to put this knowledge in books, films and tape, we could share our knowledge with the world." “We can tell scientists that this is what we have to share and maybe they can learn from us” He continued. See video as Mosses speaks about the use of animal sounds and vegetation for weather forecasting by the Maasai.

I think the ability of scientists to approach such knowledge and community wisdom with respect and understanding can be the difference between successful community use of scientific information and failure. Yet this is as rare as a 3 dollar bill. As scientists, we learn to be suspicious of anything which cannot be verified scientifically, quantified or “reasonably” explained. But by ending there, we may miss out on the inspiration that we need in order to bridge between science and community application and acceptance of our work.

At the same COP17 side event, the director of Indegeneous people of Africa coordinating committee IPAAC, hit the nail on the head when he said “Locals have an intimate relationship with their local landscape, traditional knowledge should therefore be taken into account in policy frameworks.” We need to start having these conversations with open minds. In these deliberations lie the answers to the successful application of science at community level. Given what is at stake, shouldn’t we be trying? I know the African Young Scientists Initiative on Climate Change and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AYSICCIKS) are. There are more initiatives out there i should think and it would be interesting to follow the progress they are making in their work.

It’s not all sad stories and begging baskets in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:04:00 +0000

Talk about ordinary people doing it for themselves, taking things into their own hands and pulling themselves from the jaws of poverty. Happy Shongwe is one such person. Having lived for a greater part of her life under difficult circumstances, Happy has shown an impressive will to uplift herself and her family.

Happy Shongwe and Sam Sithole

In a space of less than a decade, Happy has transformed her life from lack into a well-established award-winning farmer and agro-business woman. She is a clear example of what one can do if they apply themselves to a vision wholeheartedly. Happy now owns a productive farm, and seed business in Swaziland. She also co-ordinates women from her community in a bid to empower them to be self-sufficient as well. Being a rural African woman, Happy is typically hardworking, she was raised that way. She is also very community-focused and wants her community to rise from poverty to comfort.

Notably, this kind of story is quite typical in African villages. These qualities of our people should be celebrated and upheld. Unfortunately most of these stories are hardly ever reported. Thanks to FANRPAN, Happy is able to tell her story to the world and inspire other woman and communities around the continent. Maybe this is the catalyst that we need to loosen our dependence on food aid on a continent which has such natural potential to feed itself. Fancy working up each morning to the daily paper leading with a new story of such inspirational persons. Imagine the effect it could have.

I had the opportunity to meet yet another example of this hardworking, resourceful African woman in Lydia Sasu of Ghanan (in Video). Yet another typical African mother if I ever saw one. Hardworking, caring and very humble. And yet her work and mobilisation of local women around farming in Ghanaian villages has earned her worldwide recognition. She is clearly flattered and surprised by all the accolades. She would do it sans awards anyway. This is what she does, this is the life she knows and loves. She wouldn’t do anything else. What a blessing that our young African brothers and sisters are raised and learn from these women.

“A farmer doesn’t rest. He is always trying this or that thing. "Mr Isaiah Sithole defined the typical African farming man in response to the question “Why do you do so many things at once” at the recent side event hosted by FANRPAN at COP17. Sithole is yet another clear example of the self-empowering African. A humble, unassuming and soft spoken man, Sithole has been able to make the best of humble beginnings to become a self-sufficient farmer who deals in crops, poultry and livestock all in one. He is a self-made agro-business man in Swaziland and like Happy was able to tell his story and inspire other African farmers at a FANRPPAN side event at COP17’s Agriculture and Rural Development Day(ARDD).

There are many other such stories out there. Stories of ordinary rural African folk making it happen for themselves and their communities. May they be a shining example of what ordinary people can do for themselves and their communities. Kudos to all those organisations like FANRPAN, CONNECT4CLIMATE and CTA who are trying to bring these stories to the rest of the world!

Fitting tribute to Wangari Maathai at COP17: Now to take her vision forward

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:22:00 +0000

Just had an inspiring day. The kind that makes you want to go out there and do something significant. Sign your name to a large portion of the earth, to remain there for eternity. I sat through a session that did just that for me today. The Forest Day 5 at COP17 in Durban South Africa gave a fitting send off and tribute to Wangari Maathai. A touching 8 minute video documented her vision and some of her achievements (based on the video below). Speaker after speaker showered unending praises for her visionary work. It got me thinking.

Wangari Maathai: greenbeltmovement.org

Just how much of a difference can a single person or a “not-so-empowered” group of people with an idea to serve make? In Wangari’s words, “Grass roots people can change the world.” That she did. A single and simple idea to plant a tree and get the rest of the world doing the same started movements on the continent and all over the world which have changed the lives of ordinary people, the way we see and appreciate the environment and demonstrated how much well organised pressure from ordinary people can force politicians into action. Whats more, all this she did from humble beginnings.

The Forest Day 5 sessions focused on REDD+ and how to operationalize it (among a few other related issues). Most ideas thrown around by delegates circled around community ownership of land, community-led reforestation projects, and incorporation of agriculture and gender issues. Interesting, especially considering that this is exactly what Wangari thought and set out to do when she started the Green Belt Movement(GBM) in Kenya in the year...wait for it…wait for it… 1977! Suprisingly, more than 3 decades later, the world’s leading thinkers, policy-makers and civic organisations are still debating such a “no-brainer.” The results of Wangari’s approach are self-evident in Kenya,and the mobiliation of global movements. Yet, progress on REDD+ is still very slow.

How did she do it? She was fearless, she got involved, rolled her sleeves and dug in (see video). Wangari challenged the powers that be and forced them to do that which needed to be done. She started small with what was around her and scaled up. Without taking anything away from current well-meaning efforts to get REDD+ working, it looks to me like there is lots to be learnt from Wangari Maathai and GBM. Sealing the REDD+ deal would be a fitting tribute to her. The question is, how? Are we willing to take the stand that she did and can we get the “powers that be” to do what obviously needs to be done, in the way it needs to be done?

At COP17 Forest Day 5 with M Dhlamini (CANGO-Swaziland) and E. Chivhenge (Gottingen University- Germany)

Agro-sensual: Making agriculture “sexy” for the youth in a changing climate!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:10:00 +0000

“We are young and we are fast, we want things to happen quickly, it is our nature. God made us that way so that we can accumulate as much assets as possible before we age.” Don’t I just wish I had said those words? These are the words of Talentus Mthunzi of ORAP, a rural agricultural organisation based in Zimbabwe at the recent FANRPAN regional dialogue on food security and youth engagement in agriculture held in Swaziland.

nkulumo, Swaziland's youth minister and Talentus Mthunzi

Talentus was responding to questions raised by elder delegates to the meeting.

Concern was that in light of climate change, youth participation in agriculture at the present is important to ensure future food security. Yet, it is clear that young people are as interested in agriculture as they are in lawn bawling, or fishing, or counting the sand on the beach, or ... you get the picture. The question was why is there so much disinterest in agriculture among the youth?

Maureen Agena as a member of the panel at the meeting

Talentus’ response, agriculture just doesn’t pay quick enough. Young people do not have the patience to wait. They want returns now, not next season, not next year, now... yesterday. Another articulate youth, Maureen Agena from Uganda put it another way. “Agriculture just isn’t sexy enough.” Young people are all for the glitz and the glamour, not the grit and grime. To attract more youth in the industry, agriculture needs to become sassier. Maureen gave a scenario to demonstrate her point. “I graduate from college with a degree in agriculture and I am consoled... my brother graduates with a degree in medicine and he is congratulated.” It is a matter of mindset. I couldn’t agree more. We have been raised in a society which celebrates Doctors, Engineers, Pilots, Educators and the like and looks upon Farmers with the “Oh poor thing, couldn’t get a proper job look”. This mindset needs to be adjusted. There is hope still.

Hilma Angula makes her point to the delegates

Young people are driven, they want to get ahead. They are full of ideas which can change any industry and mindset setback. If anyone can change the negative perception of agriculture and shape the future of our continent’s food security status in a changing climate, it is the youth. They just simply need to be enabled through guidance and financial leverage. As another young person at the dialogue put it “we are young, we have the ideas but where is the support...? If we have a string and you pull from that end and we pull from this end, we can tie a note” Hilma Angula, Namibian Youth Coalition on Climate Change.

If venture capitalists didn’t believe in and support young Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google co-founders), we would still be struggling to find information on the internet. Maybe the internet is not much of a priority on this continent at the moment. Food security comes first. More so with the pressure expected to be exerted on our food production systems by climate change. Maybe with the right amount of belief and support, we can find our own Page and Brin in the agricultural sector. A couple (hopefully more, the more the better) of inspired and determined young people with a dream to transform the sector and provide all people with unlimited access to food.

Its early days yet, but with organisations like FANRPAN trying to give the youth opportunities to showcase their capabilities and to share ideas on how to improve agriculture despite/under the climate change threat. It looks like we are heading somewhere. We may just need to pick up the pace.

The Youth delegation with the Youth Minister of Swaziland and the CEO of FANRPAN

Environmental consciousness: The new competitive edge for companies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 May 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Should organizations care about the implications that their products and services have on the environment? The simple and direct answer is yes. It is not just about our natural environment being able to sustain life on this planet for present and future generations. It is about a new and imminent competitive edge that is set to make a big difference in business in the 21^st century.

Courtesy:www.fotosearch.com

In today's world, corporate activities are too frequently subsidized by non-monetary "external" costs paid by the environment and the earth at large. This has led to a backlash from environmentalists who constantly call for strict regulation of operations and punitive measures on business. However, it is my opinion that businesses should be able to self regulate and consider the impact of their activities on the environment and life of the planet as a whole. A new trend which business cannot afford to ignore is rising over the horizon, born from the damage that human activities led by industry and business have inflicted on the environment. The growing “going green” movement is here and here to stay. Business should therefore embrace this new trend and capatalise on it to advance their corporate interest or risk being knocked down by versatile competitors.

Michael potter, in the Harvard business review: business and the environment states “Managers must start to realize environmental management as an economic and competitive opportunity, not as an annoying cost or an inevitable threat.” Business and trade ethics in the world over are evolving very rapidly, making sound environmental consciousness a significant component for good business management. Yet despite these observations, few companies especially in low income countries like Zimbabwe take this new trend seriously. However, if business intends to continue to stay vibrant and relevant on a local and especially global scale, environmental considerations should begin to feature consistently in business strategy.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

All businesses place warranted value on financial accountability through regular financial reporting and performance evaluations. In the 21^st century, as a result of rising concerns on the pressure being placed on our environment by business, similar value may well be placed on environmental accountability through regular environmental reporting and performance evaluations. Companies should start developing environmental strategic frameworks which envision a sustainable future. This can be done through consistently analyzing environmental trends and pressures against company activities. Companies can then go on to channel operations into currently acceptable environmental impact levels and start considering the financial potential of greener products and activities.

Given that the environmental consciousness of an organization can set it apart from others, companies may consider the following:

· Incorporating environmental issues in core business actions (practicing eco-friendly day to day activities, analyzing environmental trends, developing innovative eco-friendly services and products, investing in staff environmental education etc.)

· Taking stock of company environmental responsibility (how does our activities or products impact the environment? How can we measure our ecological footprint? What action can we take to reduce the impacts? )

· Account for environmental performance (Environmental reporting, monitoring and evaluation)

· Develop partnerships in tackling environmental challenges among business, government and civil society.

While Zimbabwe may still be in its infancy in developing environmental standards and codes of ethics, individual companies in Zimbabwe should however consider becoming trailblazers in the current “green revolution” through self regulation. Vast benefits can accrue to these environmentally conscious companies. The companies may become “best practice” models in their respective industries and for the business community as a whole. In some instances, new laws and regulations may be modeled after the practices of these trailblazers, thereby ensuring that they stay ahead of the curve and demote competitors to merely playing “catch up”.

Courtesy:www.fotosearch.com

Taking the green initiative seriously will help companies demonstrate integrity. As the company operates nationally or globally and interacts with many societies and organisations whose values greatly differ from one location to another, by holding consistent moral and social positions, the company is viewed by key stakeholders as true to their word and principles. This will make them less vulnerable to attack or criticism. Expectations and demands from society often well exceed those of law and policy makers. It’s the everyday citizen who has the most influence on what constitutes current environmental challenge. Ignoring these voices of concern can cause irreparable reputational damage. Those companies that hold themselves to a higher standard, and go beyond compliance will enjoy the most highly regarded reputations. It is companies that go the extra mile that reap the rewards in the court of public opinion. And it is companies that voluntarily raise the bar that often unearth a myriad of commercially interesting business opportunities. Since the environmental question is top of current international agendas and concerns, taking a proactive stance is likely to build a company’s reputation.

One of the outstanding qualities of good businesses is the ability to recognize opportunity. In the 21^st century, the environment is one such opportunity. Business should be in tune with the wide range of environmental concerns of the world, and position itself to address them in a way that profits them. The environmental question is bound to be a catalyst of business innovation, will your business be a leading force in this revolution or settle for chasing the rest of the pack?

Climate change: Roll your sleeves, dig in... get with it!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 May 2011 09:07:00 +0000

I support Professor Kees Stigter of Agromet Vision and INSAM who during a Seminar on Agrometeorlogy and sustainable development held in Harare recently stated “We can fight about the causes and impacts but it (climate change) is undeniable, it is a reality.”

courtesy:www.fotosearch.com

Scientists and politicians will continue to bicker over the issue of climate change for years to come. While they do, it is up to us to take time to ascertain what is of essence on this matter and take action.

As a people, we are more inclined to be motivated to action by how we feel about something as opposed to facts and figures. The business as usual attitude will continue to prevail and life will go on as usual for as long as the climate change issue is not brought “home”.

In my humble opinion, (humility is a claim in this instance) climate change has a human face. It is more about people than it is of science, politics, facts or fiction. It is about our families, our friends, and our relationship with them and the world around us.

My conviction is that climate change has the potential to define us, to define our era, and ultimately to determine the legacy we leave for generations to come. As a result, young people hold the future in their hands.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to be sure that we are aware of the changes occurring around us. Do we know what climate change is? How does it affect our lives, the lives of our families and friends and generations to come? Above all, as young people, what can we do?

I humbly (yet another claim of humility!) propose a 3 step action plan for young people who wish to shape the future regarding this critical (without sounding alarmist, of course) issue.

First and foremost, we need to get informed. Trying to make a difference without gaining an in-depth understanding of the matter at hand would be futile. It would be as senseless as pitching up to a nuclear war with spears, slingshots, bows and arrows (no matter how many of these weapons you bring to battle, they are inappropriate). Getting information and gaining an understanding of the climate change issue will ensure that we get involved. Get informed!

Once we have been informed, we need to take action. Most importantly we need to take and lead action. The future belongs to us. As young people we are most at stake (again, without sounding alarmist!). We cannot afford to stand aside and let our future be determined by those who may not be a part of it. We should take a stand for the future we want!

courtesy:www.fotosearch.com

This leads us to the final and equally important pillar of this tri-factor. As young people we need to influence policy and let our voices be heard. While policies are being drafted locally, regionally and globally, how many of us have managed to add our views to the climate change question. It is important that young people get together to discuss and decide on issues which are pertinent to us and to make them the centre of current and future policy decisions. While we may not all get the opportunity to take part in international conferences and events, we can get involved in debates and events which occur on-line. We spend half our time there anyway. Such platforms include Connect4Climate YPARD Green reporters AfricaAdapt and a whole lot others. Join, be heard, start your own... what ever you decide, just be heard!

Sustainable living: Going back to the basics/ Lessons from the past.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:22:00 +0000

Contrary to the notion given off by highly commercialised marketing gimmicks, sustainable living need not cost an arm and a leg. Rather, sustainable living should at the least save us money. The basis of sustainable living is rooted in simplicity and thoughtfulness. In that sense therefore, low income people are in a better position to live sustainably than their more affluent counterparts. Yet, economically and technologically advanced societies with their talk of hybrid cars and nuclear energy would have us believe that drastic adjustments need to be made in the way we live in order to contribute towards a healthier planet. Lessons from our past will attest otherwise.

Let me take you down memory lane to confirm my declaration that lessons in simplicity, thoughtfulness and ultimately sustainable living are found thereof. How many of us remember the days when simply forgetting to switch off your bedroom light or letting the water tap drip would result in serious ramification at the hands of parents? Do we remember the days when every trip to the grocer was made with a recyclable shopping basket or plastic bag? I remember watering the garden only during the early hours of the morning albeit under heavy protest. I also remember the times when the whole family would travel to school, work or church in a single car despite the availability of another vehicle.

These and more actions which were practiced in the past vividly capture the foundations of sustainable living, which incorporate 3 basic principles which are: Reduce, Reuse/Recycle and Save. If we observe these lessons and apply them to our lives today, we will be on our way to a sustainable life.

Courtesy:www.fotosearch.com

Let us begin by considering the transport that we use. Three decades ago, being able to drive in Zimbabwe was a status symbol, mainly a preserve of men high up the socio-economic ladder. In this era however, everyone is driving. Gases emitted by cars are one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases which are the main cause of global warming. How do we ensure that we reduce the amount of gases emitted by our cars? Since electric cars, hydrogen cars and smart cars are still a long way from becoming trendy in this part of the world, reducing the number of cars on the road and the number of people driving is the most prudent way of cutting down on emissions.

We should begin to consider carpooling to work or to school. If our day involves sitting on a desk or in a class/lecture room, sharing a family car or a friend‘s car is a good way to reduce our carbon footprint (amount of carbon dioxide that we are directly or indirectly responsible for producing and emitting into the earth's atmosphere). Besides, with rising fuel prices and parking costs, it is going to save us a lot of money anyway.

Carpooling may help to improve our interpersonal relationships as well. This drive time can become family time or a time to catch up with friends thereby bringing us closer together. For those of us who drive everywhere including the market or grocery store (which is only 2km away), walking or cycling as alternatives to driving will not only save on greenhouse gas emissions but will contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

We can start to purchase more eco friendly products. Eco friendly products are those which have the least impact on the environment. Back in the day, it was natural to buy eco friendly products although we didn’t necessarily consider this to be a service to the planet. We saved money through buying local produce. What we did not realise is that we were also reducing our carbon footprint by reducing “food miles”. Foreign products don’t only cost more but travel much longer distances to reach us thereby using up more energy and emitting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

Buying organic foods (foods produced naturally) will also reduce our impact on the environment since other products are likely to be grown with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Besides, organic food is much healthier. Choosing to buy energy saving appliances will help to reduce our carbon footprint as well as save us money in the long run. Energy saving bulbs for example use as little as 10kw of power as opposed to the conventional 60 - 100kw and can last up to 6 years. These bulbs will save money on our electricity bill as well as reduce the pressure on our severely compromised national energy generating capacity.

While we strive daily to save money, many of us do not make the connection between resources and finances, forgetting that electric bills and water bills make up a significant portion of monthly expenses. Just because these resources and expenses are necessary, that does not mean they cannot be cut back, or utilised more thoughtfully and effectively. Often times, we act in a wasteful manner, simply out of habit. But habits can be broken.

Saving water and electricity are simple tasks that will not only help promote sustainable living and protect the environment, they can also help reduce our household expenses. We should cut the habit of leaving the water running when brushing our teeth, cleaning dishes, or washing our cars. By simply filling the sink halfway with water, then adding soap, we ensure that no water is lost unnecessarily during dishwashing. When we wash our cars, we could use buckets and turn the hosepipe off. Being conscious of when we choose to water our lawn or garden is also helpful. We should avoid watering during the heat of the day. Watering in the early morning or evening hours is more efficient. Taking showers for shorter periods or using buckets also ensures that we save water.

Thousands of gallons of water are wasted each year, simply because people are too lazy to turn off the tap when doing daily tasks. The beauty of our situation in Zimbabwe is that most of us will find these changes simple to make considering our perennial water shortages. In most cases, we may have already been forced into these sustainable life changes anyway.

Through simple and thoughtful acts like turning the lights off if we are not in the room or taking full advantage of natural light whenever possible by opening curtains during the day, we reduce our energy use and costs. We should always turn off appliances when not in use. Turning off the T.V, radio and computer and avoiding leaving the phone on the charger over night will significantly reduce the electricity that we use daily.

However, considering the excessive power cuts experienced in Zimbabwe, most of us are usually excited at the opportunity to maximize the few hours that we do have power by switching on every appliance imaginable even those which we do not need. We should try by all means to desist from this behavior. It increases the pressure on our meager energy resources thereby leading to more power cuts and higher electricity bills.

Courtesy:www.fotosearch.com

Reducing the amount of waste which we produce and recycling the waste is another important lesson for sustainable living which we can draw from the past. Litter will always find its way into rubbish dumps and landfills. These landfills are one of the major producers of methane, a leading greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. Collecting newspapers, containers and plastic bags is an effective way of reducing your contribution to global warming. In most cases, there are people, organisations or companies that can make use of what you consider to be rubbish. Most of this material can be recycled into more useful materials like candles (which come in handy during power cuts) or tissues. Some companies may even pay for these materials.

Some of us have clothes which we do not need any more. Instead of throwing these away and generating more waste, give them away. Charitable organisations enable us to freely give away those items which we no longer need or want. Someone can reuse them. Giving items away will reduce the amount of waste we generate and also give us a sense of well being. Using recyclable carrier bags or shopping baskets will also help to reduce the amounts of excess plastic we generate. This will also save us money since plastic bags are now for sale in grocery stores.

Apart from reducing, recycling and saving, we can also take decisive action to restore our natural environment and our planet’s ability to sustain life. One of the most important acts we can engage in is tree planting. The value of trees to our lives can never be overemphasised. While planting a tree is a simple exercise, its value to our lives is immeasurable.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

Trees are the major removers of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They are therefore one of the most potent weapons against global warming and climate change. Trees also contribute immensely to our health and well being. They remove gaseous pollutants from the atmosphere and produce vital oxygen. Trees clean our water, preserve our soils and cool our environment. The importance of trees is so vast that it would require an entire article. However, in the mean time, why not plant a tree as a symbol of remembering important events in our lives such as birthdays, anniversaries and as a local funeral company would have it, in memory of a departed loved one.

Let us teach one another the simple tips on how to “save” the environment. One person or one generation alone cannot do it. This task needs as many people contributing as possible. Therefore, let us continue the culture of sustainable living through simple acts of thoughtfulness. This will augment and redevelop the basis for a culture that will live for generations to come.

Trees, climate change and health: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:40:00 +0000

I subscribe to the notion promoted by Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry in the Book “the universe story” where they state that “The well being of the eco system of the planet is a prior condition for the well being of humans. We cannot have well being on a sick planet, not even with our medical science. So long as we continue to generate more toxins than the planet can absorb and transform, the members of the earth community will become ill”. Planting trees is one of the best ways we can ensure a healthy planet for good human health and well being.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

I am an advocate of trees because they work every day for all of us to improve our environment, health and quality of life. Trees fight global warming and climate change while consequently improving the quality of our air, protecting our water and saving energy. Planting trees remains one of the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Since excessive carbon dioxideemissions into the atmosphere are the leading cause of human induced climate change, trees become an important tool for mitigating and curbing climate change. A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 21.6 Kgs/year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings.

In light of high temperatures resulting from global warming, trees have the ability to regulate local temperatures by transpiring water into the lower atmosphere and shading surfaces. By so doing, trees help to reduce the intensity of heat waves thereby reducing the effects of heat waves on the elderly and people with respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. The temperature regulation ability of trees helps reduce the demand on air conditioning in homes and offices thereby reducing pressure on fossil fuel burning for energy. This can be very helpful in Zimbabwe where energy shortages are acute and a significant percentage of our energy comes from coal.

courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

Trees are a possible solution to the pressure exerted by climate change on water availability and quality and therefore health. Trees reduce topsoil erosion thereby preventing harmful land pollutants contained in the soil from getting into wells and open water sources. They use nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium which are by-products of urban living which can pollute water sources. Trees slow down water run-off thus ensuring that water sinks into the ground and our groundwater supplies are continually replenished. This ensures that communities have reliable water supply thereby reducing the risk of hygiene related diseases. The ability of trees to assist water to seep in the ground also helps to avoid the formation of stagnant pools. The incidence of water borne diseases and malaria are thus curbed.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

Trees remove gaseous pollutants which contribute to climate change and poor health by absorbing them with normal air components. These gases include sulphur dioxide, ozone and nitrous oxide. Planting trees improves air quality in so doing reducing the risk of exacerbations of respiratory diseases. Trees also have therapeutic value. Planting trees can act as a remedy against the shortcomings of modern life in a world separated from nature. Research has shown that planting trees in different locations creates green spaces which are of value in alleviating stress and depression related to urban living.

Courtesy: photobucket.com

For the benefit of our planet and our health, let us all plant trees wherever and whenever we can. It doesn’t cost much but our combined efforts will have a positive domino-effect which will echo for generations to come.

Trees, climate change and health: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:14:00 +0000

“The warming of the planet will be gradual, but the effects of extreme weather events (more storms, floods, droughts and heat waves) will be abrupt and acutely felt. Both trends can affect some of the most fundamental determinants of health: air, water, food, shelter and freedom from disease”. This is a statement made by the Director General of the World Health Organisation Dr Margaret Chan during UN led celebrations of the world environment day a couple of years ago. Her statement followed worldwide concerns about the impacts of climate change on the quality of life on the planet.

Coming across this statement only recently, I felt stirred to shed some light on her statement by explaining the relationship between climate change, human health and well being. In the same light, I was challenged put forward my thoughts on how an act as simple as planting a tree can go a long way to alleviate the effects of climate change on people’s health. Since climate change is attributable to unsustainable human exploitation of natural resources, my belief is that human action towards the restoration of the integrity of our natural environment can contribute significantly to alleviating the impact of climate change on human life. I will begin first by explaining the relationship between climate change and health.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

The environmental consequences of climate change, both those already observed and those that are anticipated, such as, changes in rainfall resulting in flooding and drought, heat waves, more intense cyclones and storms, and degraded air quality, affect human health and well being both directly and indirectly. Directly through impacts of thermal stress, and death/injury in floods and storms and indirectly through changes in the ranges of disease vectors (e.g. mosquitoes), water-borne pathogens, water quality, air quality, and food availability and quality.

Exposure to heat waves and death or injury from extreme weather is the more common direct impacts of climate change. Although we are in a part of the world (Tropics) where heat exposure is not a noteworthy challenge since we are used to raised temperatures, certain members of our community are less tolerant thereby putting them at risk from increased temperatures. The elderly and those who suffer from cardio-vascular and respiratory disease are less tolerant to high temperatures. This makes them likely to suffer more at the hands of climate change. Floods and cyclones can result in death or serious injuries to people as well. On the other hand, the trauma caused by these events on children may result in prolonged psychological damage. Mental health effects such as depression and anxiety may occur after these extreme events.

Courtesy: www.picsearch.com

Extreme weather events like cyclones, floods and drought also have far reaching indirect effects on people’s health and well being. They result in high temperature, water scarcity and water abundance which are all related to diarrhoeral diseases. After a cyclone or flood-event, rates of diarrhoeal disease, including cholera, may increase, especially in areas where sanitation facilities are poor. Heavy rainfall, even without flooding, may increase rates of diarrhoeal disease as latrines or sewage systems overflow. In Zimbabwe, high density residential areas such as Mbare, Chitungwiza and Tafara/Mabvuku are commonly affected. The cholera outbreak of 2009 bears testimony to this.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

Heavy rains lead to increased runoff which may result in the contamination of water sources. Perennial water shortages in Zimbabwe have led to many families making use of wells and other open water sources which are highly prone to contamination as a result of runoff. Water scarcity for personal hygiene and washing of food puts many Zimbabweans at high risk of diarrhoeal diseases and other illnesses related to poor hygiene.

The combination of high temperatures and rainfall resulting from climate change is likely to increase the spatial and temporal distribution of vector borne diseases such as malaria. After an intense rainfall event or a flood event, rates of vector borne diseases such as malaria can increase as mosquitoes breed in stagnant or slow moving pools of water. Viral and bacterial diseases may also increase because virus and bacteria replication rates are sensitive to temperature.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

High temperatures and water scarcity can put food harvests at risk while flood events can also destroy harvests. Low food yields may ultimately exacerbate undernutrition and lead to adverse health outcomes (especially physical and mental development of children). As rates of malnutrition increase, populations become more susceptible to other diseases. In Zimbabwe where HIV and AIDS is prevalent, poor nutrition coupled with HIV induced poor immunity levels put a large percentage of the population at risk of death.

Climate change affects temperature, humidity and wind which in turn affect the formation, transportation and dispersion of air pollutants. Climate change may therefore influence pollutant concentrations, which may affect health as air pollution is related to cardio-respiratory health. Exposure to high levels of ground-level ozone, for example, which is formed from the exhaust of transport vehicles, increases the risk of exacerbations of respiratory diseases such as asthma. Respiratory allergies and diseases may become more prevalent because of increased human exposure to pollen (due to altered growing seasons), molds (from extreme or more frequent precipitation), and dust (from droughts).

Addressing the effects of climate change on human health is especially challenging because both the surrounding environment and the decisions that people make influence health. However, given the aforementioned impacts of climate change on health, it is prudent to suggest that activities taken to ensure environmental sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emission have several potential benefits for health as well.

One of the most gainful and holistic ways of tackling climate change while contributing to public health is through planting trees. While I am in no way suggesting that tree planting or good environmental stewardship can replace the provision of basic services such as primary health care, nutrition programmes, and adequate water supply and sanitation, I believe that completely ignoring the value of a healthy planet on human health and well being is potentially calamitous. I shall elaborate on the value of trees in the fight against climate change and the protection of human health and well being in the coming post.

Improving our planet’s ability to sustain life

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:36:00 +0000

Courtesy: nineplanets.org

I sat through an interesting presentation made by a colleague at an environment and livelihoods workshop last week. Her presentation focused on the harmful effect of corporate led humanitarian action. Her view was that the environmental and humanitarian sectors have been high jacked by companies who have business motives. These companies play around with buzz words like going green, green technology, carbon footprint etc to hype up their products and turn a profit. She reiterated how unfortunate this development is. The commercialization of the environment and livelihoods sector will see the collapse of honest humanitarian work she insisted. She concluded that issues regarding the environment and people’s livelihoods should be led by ordinary people as opposed to corporates.

While I may not be entirely of the same opinion, I am strongly in support of community/people led environmental action. I believe that all people have the inherent ability to do good for others and for themselves by default. However, while most people may want to play a part in ensuring that our planet continues to sustain life for our generation and generations to come, our biggest challenge is the lack of a clear appreciation of what needs to be done and how. Furthermore, we may not have the financial resources necessary, hence the continued involvement of the corporate world in the environmental, livelihoods and humanitarian sectors. I have nothing against companies making a profit (profit is why companies are set up anyway) while contributing to the health of the planet and the improvement of people’s lives. They simply need to find better ways of striking a balance between profit and the planet’s well being.

Despite financial challenges, I am convinced that a lack of money does not excuse us from taking action against the widespread human induced damage to our planet and threat to the lives of people especially the poor. I will demonstrate how ordinary people can take a lead in “saving our planet” despite a lack of disposable income in forthcoming posts. Currently, I would like to shed more light on where our planet’s vulnerability to our actions lie so as to improve our understanding of what threats the planet is under and what we can do to tackle the matter.

Courtesy: www.nunukphotos.com

Our life on this planet is supported by the natural environment. The main components of our natural environment are air, land and water. The air (atmosphere) as we may understand is the centre of all our lives. We could not even in our untamed imaginations survive without air. Clean air ensures that we take another breathe and stay alive. Clean air also ensures we stay free of respiratory illnesses like asthma (I bet you know at least one person who suffers from asthma if not yourself). The atmosphere is also responsible for ensuring that our planet maintains a constant average temperature and doesn’t get too warm or to cold. It traps the warmth which is emitted by our planet thereby ensuring our planet doesn’t get to cold, this is called the green house effect. On the other hand, the atmosphere also allows some of the heat to escape into space thereby stopping our planet from getting too warm. Therefore, we owe the livable conditions on this planet to our air (atmosphere).

Our land on the other hand is just as important. The land is where life comes from. Plants and animals which are all necessary for our survival live and grow on the land. The majority of people in low income countries (where most of the world’s poor are found) depend almost entirely on the land to produce food. In Zimbabwe, 70% of the population is estimated to make a living directly or indirectly from the land. For those who work in the manufacturing industry, the majority of our products use plants or crops grown from the land as raw material. Entire economies are sustained by the land. Therefore, we all draw our livelihoods one way or the other from the land

Water is an indispensible component of our lives. For starters, for the normal day to day functioning of our bodies, we need water. No human being can survive for more than 12 days without water. The crops that we grow for food would also not survive without water. Our economies also depend on water. Water is life, every drop counts.

The air, land and the water form an interlocked system which works collectively to sustain all forms of life on the planet. If any significant changes or alterations are made to this system, it affects life on earth as well. For example, the release of a variety of gases into the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal etc) in industries or day to day energy generation alters the composition of our air and the system. These gases stay in the atmosphere for long periods in so doing accumulating over time. This increases the atmosphere’s ability to trap warmth released by the earth thereby escalating the greenhouse effect and making our planet warmer (global warming). This increased warming has a ripple effect on the rest of the air, land and water system. Climate change is the result of this ripple effect. The climate becomes chaotic and unpredictable resulting in increased incidences of severe weather like droughts, floods and cyclones thereby threatening life on earth. Seasons begin to change. Rainfall begins to vary in terms of quantity and timing thereby making it increasingly difficult to produce enough food for everyone.

This description of where our planet’s vulnerability lies doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of our planet’s defenselessness to our activities. These will be covered in great detail later. However, I hope this improves our appreciation of where the challenges the planet is experiencing lie and open our minds up to discussions into the kind of action we can begin to take to protect and preserve our planet and our lives.

Our indifference will reproduce poverty and underdevelopment. Let’s help improve our planet’s ability to sustain life by restoring the major components of the life supporting system; air, land and water.

Climate change: An opportunity to show your love for family and friends!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:38:00 +0000


Coutresy: www.fotosearch.com

I am sure a lot of us have had moments in their life where they are jolted back to the harsh reality that life on this planet is borrowed and we are not promised tomorrow. As fleeting as this feeling may be, when it hits us, it shakes us momentarily to the core of our being. The stark reality of this realization forces us to introspectively evaluate our lives and put into perspective the things that we value the most. In most cases, we realize that what we value the most is family and their well being.

My moment of introspection came about recently as a result of the experiences of two people whose well being I value considerably, my brother and my girlfriend. My brother got involved in a car accident and was bedridden for over a week. My girlfriend on the other had to undergo an operation which although she declared was no big deal, had me worried (She is a medical student… if you have ever been to the hospital or in an emergency situation, you will know that people in the medical field almost always take things lightly while the rest of us panic). These two occurrences got me thinking about the things which are important to me and what others may value in their lives as well. My humble conclusion was that everyone wants the best for the people they love. The people they love are mostly family and close friends. Having realized this, I went on further to think about what it is that everyone who cares about the well being of family and friends could do to show their love.

Coutersy: www.fotosearch.com

Countless ideas ran through my mind including, spending quality time with family and friends, and helping each other in times of need, uplifting one another spiritually and many other typical ideas. However, I challenged myself to think a bit out of the box and find long-lasting impactful things we can do for our families and our friends. I asked myself this question “what is one of the biggest unavoidable challenges that the human race is currently experiencing and may continue to encounter for years to come?” While a lot of us may think in terms of war, civil unrest (given the recent trend of civic demonstrations and clashes between civilians and their governments worldwide) and poverty (of which our continent is a leading sufferer), my mind strayed even further. This challenge to human kind should encompass all these and more. Then it hit me. CLIMATE CHANGE!

Courtesy: www.cylive.com

Climate change currently has strong impacts on our planet, our families and friends in ways which cannot be ignored. This current challenge encompasses all facets of our lives by taxing our ability to produce food, our health, our shelter through climate change induced disasters like cyclones, and floods, our industries and therefore our economics. By straining these basic human needs, climate change also has the ability to cause civil unrest thereby affecting our politics as well. In that sense, climate change has and will continue to have adverse impacts on the lives of the people we love for generations to come. Therefore, one of the most important actions that human kind can start to take now to demonstrate its love and care for family and friends is to start caring a bit more about our planet. In so doing, we show our care for our families now and those which are to come.

Courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

Many of us may think to themselves, but I am just one person, I am not a scientist, a politician or a policy maker, what do I have to offer? Policymakers and politicians have more often than not failed us by putting political ambitions ahead of the well being of the people they lead. Therefore, you are in a better position to fight the impacts of climate change than a politician. You have no voters to entice. All you have is deep love and concern for your family and friends. In my opinion that’s the best weapon you can wield for this kind of a battle.

The battle against climate change and global warming requires heart. Since we have more of that through our love for family and friends, we already have a head start. In coming posts, I will demonstrate how ordinary people can make a difference in the global battle against global warming and climate change. I will also show how our companies, churches, organizations and schools can play a part in this battle as well. For those of us who have heard buzz words such as global warming, climate change, going green, carbon footprint, environmental sustainability etc, and still don’t understand what these are and what their relevance in our lives is, subsequent posts will explain these in a way that will challenge you to action. Furthermore, I will give tips on how we can take action in our daily lives without much cost to our pockets or time.

All we need to do is treat this planet as if it was not given to us by our parents but as if it was loaned to us by our children. “Good intentions never work, action does”.