It is possible that the cycles of drought and floods in Africa are due to El Nino and the opposite phenomenon known as La Niña, but the intensity of the destruction they cause depends on the person
Africa is pictured to the uninitiated as a hot and dry continent or alternately as covered in forests infested with wild animals (see the Tarzan films). In fact, the entire climatic and environmental spectrum can be found on the Black Continent - from dry deserts - the Sahara, the Kalahari, mountains covered with glaciers and snow - Mount Kenya, Mount Kilimanjaro, huge savannah areas and of course forests, the variety of habitats is affected by a diverse climate as seasons occur in the center of the continent Alternate rainy and dry seasons.
Until 2007, a drought prevailed on most of the continent, the stoppage of the rains lasted for several years and the effect on the residents was severe, the rainy season in the second half of 2007 turned the bowl upside down, rains of unprecedented intensity fell and washed about twenty countries, from the Indian Ocean in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, from the southern border of The Sahara to the center of the continent. Rivers overflowed and flooded settlements and agricultural areas, mudslides buried animals and people, pastures turned into lakes and swamps, schools were closed due to access difficulties.
About two million people in about 20 countries lost their fields, homes and sources of livelihood. About 500 people lost their lives!
The people of the "feeding" program of the United Nations say that: "In order to overcome the hunger following the floods, they will require about 30 million dollars". The Doctors Without Borders organization warns of the spread of epidemics in the wake of the floods, malaria, cholera, typhoid, diarrhea and intestinal diseases endangering millions of Africans. In addition to the floods, there were signs of the migration of swarms of locusts that endanger the few crops left after the floods.
In satellite images that compare large areas across the entire width of Africa, you can see the extensive impact of the last rainy season, a season that caused floods and floods like no "African elders" can remember.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/africa_african_floods_as_seen_from_space/html/1.st
Already at the beginning of the year, the climate researchers of the "World Meteorological Organization" World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicted that "a lower than normal water temperature for the western coast of Latin America, combined with an array of winds in the tropical regions, can affect the global climate system".
Water temperature lower than normal for the coasts of Latin America is a cyclical phenomenon (every 5-7 years) and is known as "La Nina" (opposite of "El Niño"). According to one of the researchers who has been examining the changes since 1990, "a close connection was found between the La Nina phenomenon and floods in West Africa".
This is not the only time that climate researchers connect La Nina or El Niño with severe climatic phenomena in East and West Africa, there is no doubt that the climatic connection exists and the effect is strong. But the obvious question is asked: the phenomena of La Nina and El Niño have been recurring for long periods, how and why have they not caused such disasters until now? Why are the floods increasing from time to time?
It is true, it is possible that in the past there were floods that simply did not reach the media, it is possible that there have already been disasters on a scale that we do not know, but the cycle of floods that inundate areas sometimes more and more often even when the amount of rain is not greater than average says Darshani?
The answer lies in Africa, not in global climate cycles and not in the correct and well-founded explanations of climatologists, for the past decades the destruction of forests has been increasing, trees are cut down to be marketed in the wider world, trees are cut down for use in the local coal industry and for (direct) use as fuel, trees are cut down to clear areas for agricultural fields And for pastures, forests are destroyed wherever they are. Around agricultural and urban settlements, trees are cut down mercilessly, mountain slopes that were forested up to the plains at their feet... naked! Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon, the "Mountains of the Moon", the Virunga Range and many other mountains all over Africa stand naked from the forest cover that was on their slopes.
The cutting of trees is the reason for the increase in floods. Deforestation is the cause of flooding and the rise of river levels. The forests - the trees are a balancing and moderating factor for the flow in the rivers, rain that falls in the forest is absorbed into the ground, the trees absorb part of the water and evaporate it back into the atmosphere, another part is slowly released (throughout the year) into streams, streams, and rivers.
When the forest disappears... there is no moderating factor - absorbent - balance, the ground becomes saturated quickly and does not absorb water, the remainder of the rain becomes a strong surface flow that floods low plains and causes streams and rivers to overflow, thus - during the rainy season plains and valleys at the foot of mountains turn into lakes and swamps, overflowing rivers overflow They overflow and flood their surroundings, but during the dry season there is no water in the ground - and the rivers dry up. Meaning again, not global climate systems that are out of control, the cause of floods…man-made…deforestation.
In some African countries they have understood the situation, accordingly they are developing projects that will prevent the destruction of the forests, at the same time the authorities provide substitutes for wood, connect the settlements to electricity, provide generators, solar panels, cooking gas, etc. Also, the local authorities initiate plantings, reforestation is one of the most important projects for the environment and people in African countries, the recognition of the importance of the forest brings the authorities to positive activities with the full participation of the residents, those residents who cut down trees learn to know and understand the importance of the forest to the environment and to those who live in it.
Those residents plant trees, reforest what was once a forest, cover the mountain slopes with local trees that will grow and return the positive "skills" to the environment. After all, it is worth repeating that reforestation and the return of plant cover to large areas will moderate the general climatic effects, but will not eliminate them. Because in addition to the La Nina and El Niño cycles, there is another and important component that causes the extreme climatic changes, global warming. Warming as a result of an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases whose emissions are mainly responsible for industrial countries. The share of the entire continent of Africa in emissions - only 3%.
Dr. Assaf Rosenthal, ecologist,
Tour guide/leader in Africa and South America.
For details: Tel. 0505640309 / 077-6172298,
Email: assaf@eilatcity.co.il
