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Are you on the Frontlines of Climate Change?
A Forum for Indigenous Peoples, Small Islands and Vulnerable Communities

From : On the Frontlines of Climate Change

Changing Climate – Shifting Seasons

The first posting on the Frontlines of Climate Change Forum asked people to send in their observations of climate change impacts. One theme raised by several contributors is how seasons are changing and becoming increasingly unpredictable. Below are highlights from this discussion:

I am very concerned about climate change, since I live on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Praslin, reports Michael Jean-Louis of the Seychelles. With the current climate change, what we have suffered from the most is the El Nino phenomenon. It has destroyed a large percentage of reef structures due to coral bleaching, which in turn affects tourism and the fish population. The reef structure acts as a barrier whereby waves crash on it and dissipate most of their energy. After the great El Nino of 1998, this coral barrier has been structurally weakened and in some instances has collapsed. The barrier is lower and less effective at wave breaking. So now more water with more energy is coming into the lagoon and this is creating, to a certain degree, coastal erosion.

Climate change has had adverse affects on water availability in parts of India, notes S.K. Sharma. Famed as the world’s wettest point because of its abundant rainfall, Cheerapunji remained unusually dry during 2006. The glaciers in Ladakh, which account for 13% of Kashmir’s land area, are now fast receding. The impacts of these changes, including on agriculture, are already visible in India.

During the last few decades, the hurricane season has become more extreme, writes Solangel Gonzalez from the Dominican Republic (Caribbean). Last year, the Dominican Republic was struck by two tropical storms during October and November, with precipitation in some parts of the country exceeding regular monthly levels by as much as 300%. The storm Olga happened out of season - during December. Precipitation patterns are changing. During a normal year, the highest rainfall occurs in May, but this year May was dry.

The rains that once fell between March and September have now been reduced to only thrice or four times a year, writes Nataan Lomorukai from western Kenya. Subject to drought and famine for the last two decades, the vast and arid Turkana District - once a savannah - is now a no-go zone. The water table is sinking and pastoralists have to trek up to 70 kms in search of water. Climate change is worsening problems already created by human activity. Irrigation and hydropower schemes have reduced the flows of the Omo and Turkwell rivers and contributed to the decline of Lake Turkana. This has resulted in the dying of indigenous trees and plants along the river where the Turkana people live. Even tree pods which enabled the livestock to live are no more. Animals are dying from the severe drought. Furthermore, the famous Ferguson Gulf in Lake Turkana – once a breeding ground for tilapia fish - has disappeared. The fisherfolk in the area now have nothing to eat. The area once occupied by the Gulf has been invaded by foreign plants called acacia prosophis. When local donkeys eat them, they become toothless after some months and die. Inhabitants have opted to move to urban areas to work as labourers, while others have resorted to making charcoal from the dying trees to supply refugee camps in Kakuma and urban areas. Turkanas are now dependant on emergency relief aid from the international community through the World Food Programme as a result of this catastrophe.



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PAPGREN coordination and support IPGRI ACIAR NZAID CTA SPC PAPGREN CEPaCT Click on the thumbnail to see a map of the locations of Pacific genebanks. Click here to download a regional directory of genebanks in the Pacific, including information on their location, contact details and holdings. PAPGREN partners Mr William Wigmore Director of Research Ministry of Agriculture Department of Resources & Development P.O. Box 96 Rarotonga Cook Islands Tel: (682) 28711-29720 Fax: (682) 21881 Email: cimoa@oyster.net.ck Mr Adelino S. Lorens Chief Agriculture Pohnpei Office of Economic Affairs P.O. Box 1028 Kolonia Pohnpei 96941 Federated States of Micronesia Tel: (691) 3202400 Fax: (691) 3202127 Email: pniagriculture@mail.fm Dr Lois Englberger Island Food Community of Pohnpei Research Advisor P.O. Box 2299 Kolonia Pohnpei 96941 Federated States of Micronesia Email: nutrition@mail.fm Mr Apisai Ucuboi Director of Research Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest Koronivia Research Station P.O. Box 77 Nausori Fiji Islands Tel: (679) 3477044 Fax: (679) 3477546-400262 Email: apisainu@yahoo.com Dr Maurice Wong Service du Developpement Rural B.P. 100 Papeete Tahiti 98713 French Polynesia Tel: (689) 42 81 44 Fax: (689) 42 08 31 Email: maurice.wong@rural.gov.pf Mr Tianeti Beenna Ioane Head, Research Section Division of Agriculture Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development P.O. Box 267 Tarawa Kiribati Tel: (686) 28096-28108-28080 Fax: (686) 28121 Email : agriculture@tskl.net.ki; Beenna_ti@yahoo.com Mr Frederick Muller Secretary Ministry of Resources & Development P.O. Box 1727 Majuro 96960 Marshall Islands Tel: (692) 6253206 Fax: (692) 6257471 Email: rndsec@ntamar.net Mr Herman Francisco Director Bureau of Agriculture Ministry of Resources & Development P.O. Box 460 Koror 96940 Palau Tel: (680) 4881517 Fax: (680) 4881725 Email: bnrd@pnccwg.palaunet.com Ms Rosa Kambuou Principal Scientist PGR NARI Dry Lowlands Programme Laloki Agricultural Research Station P.O. Box 1828 Boroko National Capital District Papua New Guinea Tel: (675) 3235511 Fax: (675) 3234733 Email: kambuou@global.net.pg Ms Laisene Samuelu Principal Crop Development Officer Crops Division Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries & Meteorology P.O. Box 1874 Apia Samoa Tel: (685) 23416-20605 Fax: (685) 20607-23996 Email: lsamuelu@lesamoa.net Mr Jimi Saelea Director of Research Department of Agriculture and Livestock P.O. Box G13 Honiara Guadalcanal Solomon Islands Tel: (677) 27987 Mr Tony Jansen Planting Materials Network Kastom Gaden Association Burns Creek, Honiara P.O. Box 742 Honiara Solomon Islands Tel: (677) 39551 Email: kastomgaden@solomon.com.sb Mr Finao Pole Head of Research Ministry of Agriculture & Forests P.O. Box 14 Nuku'alofa Tonga Tel: (676) 23038 Fax: (676) 24271 Email: thaangana@hotmail.com Mr Frazer Bule Lehi Head of Research Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Private Mail Bag 040 Port Vila Vanuatu Tel: (678) 22525 Fax: (678) 25265 Email: flehi@hotmail.com Other links Other CROP agencies Forum Secretariat University of the South Pacific SPREP Pacific biodiversity Biodiversity hotspots Breadfruit Institute Hawaiian native plants Intellectual property rights Nature Conservancy PBIF PestNet SIDS WWF South Pacific Program Other Pacific organizations Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific Micronesian Seminar Te Puna web directory Pacific news Cafe Pacific CocoNET Wireless Island Directory Pacific Islands News Pacific Islands Report Pacific Islands Travel Pacific Time South Pacific travel Time Pacific Interested in GIS? DIVA-GIS	Monday, July 07, 2008 Posted 5:31 PM by Tevita Are you on the Frontlines of Climate Change? A Forum for Indigenous Peoples, Small Islands and Vulnerable Communities From : On the Frontlines of Climate Change Changing Climate – Shifting Seasons The first posting on the Frontlines of Climate Change Forum asked people to send in their observations of climate change impacts. One theme raised by several contributors is how seasons are changing and becoming increasingly unpredictable. Below are highlights from this discussion: I am very concerned about climate change, since I live on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Praslin, reports Michael Jean-Louis of the Seychelles. With the current climate change, what we have suffered from the most is the El Nino phenomenon. It has destroyed a large percentage of reef structures due to coral bleaching, which in turn affects tourism and the fish population. The reef structure acts as a barrier whereby waves crash on it and dissipate most of their energy. After the great El Nino of 1998, this coral barrier has been structurally weakened and in some instances has collapsed. The barrier is lower and less effective at wave breaking. So now more water with more energy is coming into the lagoon and this is creating, to a certain degree, coastal erosion. Climate change has had adverse affects on water availability in parts of India, notes S.K. Sharma. Famed as the world’s wettest point because of its abundant rainfall, Cheerapunji remained unusually dry during 2006. The glaciers in Ladakh, which account for 13% of Kashmir’s land area, are now fast receding. The impacts of these changes, including on agriculture, are already visible in India. During the last few decades, the hurricane season has become more extreme, writes Solangel Gonzalez from the Dominican Republic (Caribbean). Last year, the Dominican Republic was struck by two tropical storms during October and November, with precipitation in some parts of the country exceeding regular monthly levels by as much as 300%. The storm Olga happened out of season - during December. Precipitation patterns are changing. During a normal year, the highest rainfall occurs in May, but this year May was dry. The rains that once fell between March and September have now been reduced to only thrice or four times a year, writes Nataan Lomorukai from western Kenya. Subject to drought and famine for the last two decades, the vast and arid Turkana District - once a savannah - is now a no-go zone. The water table is sinking and pastoralists have to trek up to 70 kms in search of water. Climate change is worsening problems already created by human activity. Irrigation and hydropower schemes have reduced the flows of the Omo and Turkwell rivers and contributed to the decline of Lake Turkana. This has resulted in the dying of indigenous trees and plants along the river where the Turkana people live. Even tree pods which enabled the livestock to live are no more. Animals are dying from the severe drought. Furthermore, the famous Ferguson Gulf in Lake Turkana – once a breeding ground for tilapia fish - has disappeared. The fisherfolk in the area now have nothing to eat. The area once occupied by the Gulf has been invaded by foreign plants called acacia prosophis. When local donkeys eat them, they become toothless after some months and die. Inhabitants have opted to move to urban areas to work as labourers, while others have resorted to making charcoal from the dying trees to supply refugee camps in Kakuma and urban areas. Turkanas are now dependant on emergency relief aid from the international community through the World Food Programme as a result of this catastrophe. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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