By Faraja Ntilulagomba – Art in Tanzania Internship
‘Climate Change’ denotes long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns (e.g., temperature, precipitation, etc.) over decades to millions of years. The climate on Earth has changed over millions of years, dating back to the beginning, long before human activity could have played a significant role in its transformation.
But the United Nation of Framework Conservation on Climate Change (UNFCCC), defined Climate Change as “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable periods”. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) definition of climate change encompasses changes resulting from both natural variability and human activity. Australian Government’s DCCEE, on its website, described Climate Change- ‘our climate is changing, mainly due to the observed increases in human-produced greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases absorb heat from the sun in the atmosphere and reduce the heat escaping into space. This extra heat is the primary cause of observed changes in the climate system over the 20th century.
Thus, in the environmental discourse, different stakeholders have characterised climate change as the primary change in the modern climate, augmented by human activities. Adverse human activities, such as burning fossil fuels or deforestation, are considered likely to bring about changes in certain climatic aspects.
Climate change is the global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by changes in the planet’s usual climate (temperature, precipitation, and wind) mainly caused by human activities. Climate change is “a broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere. Some aspects or examples of climate change include increased temperatures (global warming), droughts, floods, ozone layer depletion, shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and the release of greenhouse gases, among others. Some causes of climate change include industrial activities, meteorite impacts, the quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation. According to Rahman M.I. (2012), Climate Change, the most frequently used environmental term of the present time, has been used to refer to the change in modern climate brought predominantly by human activities.
European Research on Climate Change, funded by the Seventh Framework Programme, states that Climate change is arguably among the most pressing societal challenges of our time and is now undoubtedly the most well-known among the public. From initial observations of global warming and proposed ideas about its root causes, a steady consensus has emerged that climate change is one of the world’s most serious threats. It is clearly stated in the recently released 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that, on a physical science basis, global warming is mainly caused by human activities.
Agriculture can be defined as the science or practice of farming, including the cultivation of the soil for growing crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other
products. It involves crop cultivation and animal keeping. Agriculture is a critical economic sector, accounting for 29.1 per cent of Tanzania’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly three-quarters of the country’s productive workforce. Moreover, it is the primary source of food, industrial raw materials, and foreign exchange earnings. Since Tanzania has diverse climatic and geographical zones, farmers cultivate both annual and perennial crops. This includes food, cash crops, fruits, vegetables, and spices. Major agricultural exports include tea, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and cashew nuts. In addition, some farmers raise livestock, including cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, and small numbers of turkeys, ducks, rabbits, donkeys, and horses.
In Tanzania, climate change affects agricultural activities. The following are the negative impacts of Climate change on agriculture in Tanzania.
Reduction of Productivity in agriculture; for example, an increase in temperature, drought, and floods can decrease the production rate in agricultural sectors. An increase in temperature leads to the drying of crops such as maize and beans, resulting in reduced production for farmers.
Reduction of water availability; for example, drought can result in water loss in the agricultural sector. Water is the primary medium through which we will feel the effects of climate change. Additionally, water availability is becoming less predictable in many areas, and increased incidences of flooding threaten to damage water points and sanitation facilities, as well as contaminate water sources. Higher temperatures and more extreme, less predictable weather conditions are projected to affect the availability and distribution of rainfall, snowmelt, river flows, and groundwater, further deteriorating water quality and leading to insufficient water supplies. Due to these irrigation activities in the agricultural sectors, plant growth may fail due to a lack of moisture in the soil.
Destruction of plants and decrease in number of animals; for example, Global warming affects plants and animals, some of which may die. Most plants and animals live in areas with particular climate conditions, such as temperature and rainfall patterns, that enable them to thrive. Any change in the climate of an area can impact the plants and animals living there, as well as the overall composition of the ecosystem. Some species are already responding to a warmer climate by moving to more fabulous locations. For example, some animals and plants in Tanzania are migrating to other areas or to higher elevations to find suitable habitats. Climate change also alters the life cycles of plants and animals. For example, as temperatures rise, many plants begin to grow and bloom earlier in the spring and survive longer into the fall. Some animals are waking from hibernation sooner or migrating at different times.
Increase in evapotranspiration; for example, an increase in temperature results in water loss from water bodies through evaporation and from plants through transpiration. Excessive loss of water from plants results in a decrease or loss of water in other soil, so crops or plants may fail to grow due to a lack of moisture in the soil.
Decrease of income to farmers: This is because climate change like global warming, ozone layer depletion, drought, and floods result in low production in the agricultural sector; hence, income decreases because farmers have a low crop yield
Soil erosion: Increasing available moisture, also known as adequate precipitation, would tend to promote runoff and soil erosion on the one hand, and vegetation cover on the other. Since vegetation reduces erosion, we have another case of the result hinging on the net effects of “competing” processes. Effective precipitation results in floods, which lead to soil erosion, resulting in the loss of nutrients and, consequently, reduced crop growth in the agricultural sector.
Destruction of agricultural infrastructure, for example, due to high rainfall and temperature increases, results in vegetation loss. Additionally, floods can lead to land degradation. Therefore, climate change leads to the destruction of agricultural infrastructure.
Delay of plant or crop growth: for example, when there is seasonal rainfall, plants or crops may lack water for growth. When there is no rainfall, crops may fail to grow and develop; however, even minimal rainfall can still support their development.
Reducing crop quality due to the reduced growth period following high-temperature rise; reduced sugar content, bad colouration, and reduced storage stability in fruits; increased weeds, blights, and harmful insects in crops.
Reducing land fertility due to the accelerated decomposition of organic substances and increased soil erosion resulting from increased rainfall.
Therefore, Climate change is a rapidly growing concern for the Government of Tanzania and development partners. Policy and strategy processes related to climate change must be implemented in various sectors to mitigate climate change impacts; climate change is a cross-cutting issue affecting multiple sectors, including forestry, agriculture, water, land, energy, infrastructure, and others. So, we need to take action on climate change action (mitigation and adaptation) to reduce the effects of climate change on the agricultural sector in Tanzania.
REFERENCES
- Arndt, Channing; Farmer, William; Strzepek, Kenneth; Thurlow, James. 2012. Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Tanzania.
- http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1307/6/37/372049/pdf
_on_Agriculture_and_Health_Sectors_in_Tanzania_A_review
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_Tanzania
