Torrential Flooding in Puntland
Warsaw, Poland 13-11-2013: Nothing testifies of the vulnerability of the African people, especially the pastoralists to climate change impacts than the death of over 100 Somalis after a tropical cyclone hit the autonomous Puntland State in northeastern Somalia over the weekend at a time when national delegates were assembling in Warsaw, Poland for the 19th Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The cyclone, known as 03A, hit the Eyl, Beyla, Dangorayo and Hafun districts along the eastern coast before moving across to Alula at the tip of the Horn of Africa.
Hundreds of people are reportedly missing, with thousands of livestock lost and fishing boats swept away and forced the government of Abdirahman Farole to declare the state of emergency.
Eyl, about 1,300 km north-east of Mogadishu, was the worst affected area.
“Both the fishing communities and nomadic pastoralists were badly affected,” President Farole told the media at a briefing on Monday, announcing that the Puntland Disaster Management and Rescue Committee was set to respond to the natural disaster.
Henry Neondo, Coordinator, African Alliance of Rangeland Management and Development (AARMD) said the world has reacted to this crisis in a typical manner: sending in relief teams driving four-wheels troopers.
But with the reported jammed emergency trucks, Neondo said nature itself appears to reject this usual manner of solving its fury in the way the global community is mismanaging the environment.
Neondo urged the global leaders assembled in Warsaw to proactively come up with key steps that would solve such occurrences as happened in Puntland and Philippines for good.
He said climate change poses considerable challenges for pastoralists and other economic activity on the Africa’s rangelands.
An extreme weather condition in the form of cyclones, storms, icy rains and flash floods have been experienced in high frequency and is hitting the pastoralists hard.
Global climate modelling suggests that by 2080, average temperatures will have increased by some 3°C and rainfall decreased by 5% to 20%.
The results suggest that gradual change in climate over the next 70 years will see the potential value of livestock income halved and that of tourism income reduced by one quarter.
AARMD urges that active interventions and the means in terms of funds to make rangeland use less rigid and more able to change and adapt be forthcoming from such meetings currently taking place in Warsaw, Poland. “The rich nations must commit to reduce emissions as well as release needed funds to stem climate change impacts,” said Neondo.
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The African Alliance for Rangeland Management and Development (AARMD) is a continental movement of organizations in Africa, brought together to shape the opinions and advocate for effective policies that will protect rangelands in the light of climate change, drought, desertification and land degradation.
Membership is open to Non-governmental organizations, research institutions, Foundations, Trusts, Community-based organizations, faith-based networks, national coalitions and regional networks in Africa; AARMD aims to fuse efforts on climate change, drought, desertification and land degradation advocacy and coordination in Africa as it impacts rangelands, pastoralists and nomads.
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