By Wezi Tjaronda
WINDHOEK
The slightest changes in rainfall patterns caused by climate change could cause after-effects that will be felt in Namibia’s economic and social sectors, UNDP Resident Coordinator, Simon Nhongo, has said.
Climate change is the focus of this year’s human development report that was launched in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday.
In Namibia, the report was launched yesterday, with calls that Namibia act now than later to avoid the costs associated with climate change.
“Policymakers and all stakeholders need to treat climate change as an urgent development issue. Namibia can avoid the cost of climate change if it takes decisive action now,” said Dr John Mfune, of the Biology Department, which forms part of the Unam MDG 7 Group.
Due to Namibia’s dependence on natural resources and it being one of the driest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, climate change is predicted to reduce crop and livestock production and thus reduce agricultural productivity by 1.3 percent.
Changes in climate will not only affect agricultural production but also the fisheries sector – an important revenue generator for Namibia – ecosystems, biodiversity and tourism, forestry, water and sanitation and human settlements.
Climate change has resulted in a rise in world temperatures, which if they go beyond two degrees, will increase ecological catastrophes.
The World Meteorological Organisation last week said the global averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have reached their highest levels ever recorded at 391.2 parts per million (ppm), which is an increase of 0.53 percent from 379.2ppm in 2005.
Apart from water vapour, greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are the three most prevalent greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are major drivers of global warming and climate change.
The human development report says climate change adaptation is part of the acknowledgement that climate change shocks are inevitable because the phenomenon is already taking place. This puts pressure on governments to prepare for the shocks and make provisions to protect their citizens.
Some of the adverse effects include drought, flooding, storms and adverse weather conditions.
There are also fears that the impact of climate change could increase the mortality rates due to HIV/AIDS in cases where drought caused widespread malnutrition and worsened living conditions for patients.
“Alternatively, a change in rainfall patterns could increase malaria mosquito populations – malaria being a fatal danger to HIV/AIDS sufferers,” said Nhongo.
The report recommends that countries set up more weather monitoring networks to predict conditions for communities to have more time to prepare.
The UNDP representative said adaptation could mean making provisions for drought by creating food storage projects, moving entire villages out of harm and creating water storage facilities in remote communities as a measure against drought.
The report, under the theme “Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World ” says climate change is the defining human development issue of this generation.
Already, there are increased droughts, more intense and frequent storms and floods, and environmental stress that are holding back the efforts of the poorest of the world to build a better future for their children.
Climate change also undermines countries’ capacities to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, which nations promised to achieve by 2015.