Occupations, Malnutrition, and Education - the Chain of Climate Change Issues
Recently, climate change and its effects have become a pressing issue. The melting ice caps have affected places all around the globe. California was recently exposed to a severe drought and series of wildfires caused by the changing climate. However, this is nothing compared to the drastic impacts climate change has had in Zimbabwe.
In 2016, The El Nino effect caused a massive drought in Africa that devastated the country (Africa). This, combined with global warming is causing drastic climate changes and severe problems in Africa, especially Zimbabwe. With their water levels rapidly decreasing below 30%, the population is struggling to compensate with the changing climate (Chakwana).
With the decreasing water levels, occupations depending on water such as tour guides and fishermen are being negatively affected. This issue impacts many people across the world, about 1.5 billion, and especially in Zimbabwe where the water levels are extremely low (Nexus). One tour guide explains that as the amount of water reduces, the flow of tourists will dwindle which negatively hurts the workers’ income. He also explains how climate change affects the fisherman by saying, “people are forced to turn to the lake as a solution to feed their families, to earn more money, or simply as a last resort for survival”(Lemke). In this quote, he introduces the topic of malnutrition and how it continues to grow due to climate change. According to the Zambezi River Authority, water levels near Zimbabwe’s largest water dam have reached near-record lows (Lemke). If the water levels continue to decrease, the population of people in poverty in Zimbabwe will increase, creating even more malnutrition.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states, “food production in many African countries may be ‘severely compromised’ by climate change” (Africa). Currently, approximately 72% of Zimbabwe’s population lives in poverty. The people of Zimbabwe live in the driest area of the country, which makes it even more difficult for them to maintain a stable food supply.
The “compromise” of food production not only causes malnutrition throughout many of the country’s younger generation but also “compromises” their education. Since the children do not receive the proper amount of food, they are unable to draw their attention away from their growling stomachs and concentrate on what is being taught in class. One student, Pamhy, says that somedays, she is so hungry, she “cannot even read what is on the chalkboard or hear what the teacher is saying” (Lemke). This loss of focus causes these children to perform poorly and fall behind in school.
To help the climate change issue, many meetings and panels have been organized to discuss future steps. In 2007, the IPCC recognized Africa as one of the most susceptible regions to climate change. As a developing country, Africa does not have the resources to deal with the devastating effects of their changing climate. So, under the Copenhagen Accord in 2009, developed nations agreed to aid developing nations “slow emissions growth and deal with the impacts of climate change” (Africa). However, real action needs to be taken to combat this issue.
Climate change has a direct negative impact on water levels affecting occupations such as fishermen resulting in food shortages and malnutrition. Without proper nourishment, children are distracted and unable to succeed in school. This chain of cause and effect stems from climate change and must be cut in order for Zimbabwe to prosper.
Works Cited
"Africa: Climate Change." Global Issues in Context Online Collection, Gale, 2016. Global Issues
in Context.
Chakwana, Christopher. “The Effects of Climate Change in Zimbabwe.” One Young World, 11
Apr. 2016.
Lemke, Rebekah Kates. “The Impact of Climate Change on Education: Pamhy's Story.” CRS, 28
Sept. 2016.
Lemke, Rebekah Kates. “The Power of Climate Change in Zimbabwe.” CRS, 2 Mar. 2017.
"'The Nexus Between 'Water and Jobs'." Africa News Service, 22 Mar. 2016. Global Issues in
Context.
I loved how you connected this issue to other issues around the world giving a broader scope and drawing the reade in, in your introduction. My main take away was the utter severity of this issue. And my question is, do you think solving poverty in Zimbabwe would drastically help solve this issue?
ReplyDeleteI loved how you connected this issue to other issues around the world giving a broader scope and drawing the reade in, in your introduction. My main take away was the utter severity of this issue. And my question is, do you think solving poverty in Zimbabwe would drastically help solve this issue?
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you related the issue of climate change to people whose lives are affected, like the tour guide and the people facing malnutrition. That makes it easier to understand why this issue really is an issue. The main thing I took away was that this issue is not going to get better on its own. My question is how can this issue get fixed in such a drought-ridden country like Zimbabwe?
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job discussing the wide range of problems that arise from climate change, and how each of them affect all aspects of life in Zimbabwe! I liked how you smoothly incorporated factual evidence and quotes to strengthen your argument. I never would have imagined just how many different severe consequences there are - not only on the ecosystem but economic and social welfare as well - or how less developed countries such as Zimbabwe have a much harder time recovering. How do you think the country can recover from the various issues that come from climate change?
ReplyDelete