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FOCUS ON NIGER CLIMATE CHANGE Can we protect the poor from the effects of climate change? ? CLIMATE CHANGE What is Climate Change? When we talk about ‘climate change’ we mean changes in the pattern and intensity of climaterelated events. This includes the rise in the earth’s temperature and sea levels in the last 100 years. If temperatures continue to rise as they are, there will be more and more extreme weather occurrences like flooding and drought. CAUSES Climate change is not simply due to natural variations in the earth’s weather cycle. There is evidence that the greenhouse gases currently driving the increase in the average global temperatures are produced by the burning of fossil fuels and are aggravating natural variations. Do you think human activity has been a likely factor in climate change? Transportation: Transportation related emissions of carbon dioxide are growing rapidly. The United States alone consumes about 21 million barrels of crude oil per day, of which approximately two-thirds (14 million barrels) is used to fuel transport needs. The impact of climate change poses a huge global risk and threatens the most essential aspects of life on earth: health, access to water, and food production. It is the primary environmental challenge of this century. DID YOU KNOW? ■■ Across the developing world, the average per capita emissions level was 2.2 tons. In the 49 poorest countries it was just 0.2 tons. In the US, it was 18.9 tons. ■■ Of the 600,000 or so people who died in extreme weather events during the 1990s, 99 percent were in poor countries. ■■ Food is transported all around the world, with the average meal traveling 1,490 miles. The CO2 emissions attributable to producing, packaging and distributing the food consumed by a family of four are estimated to be about eight tons a year. CHECK IT OUT Unsustainable use of energy and resources in everyday life: Everyday lifestyle actions which consume fossil fuel energy contribute to climate change. The rapid rate of fossil fuel burning since the Industrial Revolution has disrupted the natural balance of carbon in the air, soil and seas. Deforestation: Worldwide, 80 percent of original forest cover has been cleared, fragmented or degraded. Carbon stored for years in the trees is being released at a high rate. Africa lost 64 million hectares between 1990 and 2005, the greatest decline seen by any continent. Agriculture and food industry: Intensive agriculture and the global food industry have contributed to the effects of climate change and the loss of bio-diversity through deforestation, transportation of food over long distances, use of fertilizers and few crop varieties, and livestock management. Population growth: The earth’s expanding population is leading to an increased demand for food, livestock and energy, which is in turn leading to increased emissions. CONSEQUENCES Storms: In 2005 there were 28 tropical storms in the Caribbean and North Atlantic—the highest number since record-keeping began about 150 years ago. It is likely that future tropical cyclones will become more intense due to the rise in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures. Internally displaced people and environmental refugees: Millions of people are being forced to migrate each year to avoid droughts and floods. Those who lose their jobs or homes end up in city slums and camps where the fight for survival becomes a daily reality. Floods and rise in salinity in land and water: Rising sea levels threaten low lying areas with flooding, erosion, and the contamination of freshwater supplies. Salt water seeps into the ground water, damaging productive farmland and fresh water supplies. Pests and diseases: The World Health Organization estimates that over 15,000 people die each year through the spread of disease caused by climate change disasters. Flooding gives rise to parasites in the water and plagues of rodents. Warmer highlands allow malariacarrying mosquitoes to survive. Drought: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that climate change will bring more floods, more droughts, and more vulnerability, hindering the efforts of millions of people to escape poverty. Food insecurity: Poor farmers who can’t adapt quickly enough to changing weather patterns will be the worst affected. African communities are particularly vulnerable to changes in rainfall, because the majority of their agriculture is rain fed with no access to irrigation. Climate change has resulted in unpredictable seasons and crop failures. Learn more and calculate your emissions: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html Read more about climate change and the MDGs: http://www.undp.org/climatechange/cc_mdgs.shtml ? CLIMATE CHANGE AROUND THE WORLD There is a strong link between climate change and poverty. The impact of uncurbed global warming is already disturbing the lives of millions of people across the globe, particularly in those countries that have the fewest resources to cope. For the poor, the devastating effects of climate change are now a fact of life and are already undermining the progress intended under the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals. Those who are least responsible for contributing to the negative impacts of changes in the climate will be the very ones to suffer most from its effects. What’s the difference between climate change and global warming? Climate: the average weather, usually measured over a 30 year time period, for a particular region Climate Change: any long-term significant change in weather patterns of an area Greenhouse Effect: the effect of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other atmospheric gases absorbing outgoing infrared radiation, raising the Earth’s temperature Global Warming: an increase in the earth’s atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely attributed to an increase in the greenhouse effect caused by pollution Climate Adaptation: responses to the changing climate in human behavior to minimize the predicted impacts of climate change Disaster Risk Reduction: techniques that focus on preventing or minimizing the adverse impacts of hazards What is the impact on the poor? IS CLIMATE CHANGE AN URGENT CONCERN? YOU DECIDE! Rising temperatures in Alaska have spurred the spruce bark beetle to breed faster. From 1993 to 2003, the beetle chewed up 3.4 million acres of Alaskan forest. In the Horn of Africa in 2011, the worst drought in 60 years along with record highs in food and fuel costs left over 12 million people facing extreme hunger. In 2010, Pakistan experienced unprecedented levels of heavy rain which triggered the nation’s worst flooding on record. An estimated 20 million people were impacted by the loss of livelihoods and/or homes. Himalayan glaciers are receding at 10-15 meters per year, while in India the Gangotri glacier is receding at an average rate of 23 meters per year. Crop yields in Sub-Saharan Africa are projected to fall by 20 percent because of global warming. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? The atmosphere is an envelope of gases that surrounds the earth. It consists of a mixture of mostly nitrogen, oxygen and argon. But it also contains another mixture of gases known as greenhouse gases, so called because they absorb infrared light but keep the earth’s heat from escaping. Without the natural greenhouse effect, life on earth would be impossible to sustain. Solar radiation powers the climate system However, as humans cause more greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect becomes stronger. More heat is trapped and the earth’s climate begins to change unnaturally. Greenhouse gas emissions arise from a range of sources including transportation, energy production, agriculture, and industrial processes. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT Some of the infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere but most is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gas molecules and clouds. The effect of this is to warm the Earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere. Infrared radiation is emitted from the Earth’s surface Some solar radiation is reflected by the Earth and the atmosphere Carbon Footprint: a measurement that determines how much energy is required to sustain an individual’s daily activities. About half of the solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface and warms it CHECK IT OUT In 2007 the worst flooding in 50 years in Hunan Province in China caused a plague of 2 billion mice. Calculate your carbon footprint: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/ View photos of our changing world: http://www.climatecrisis.net/the_evidence.php ? NIGER How does climate change affect a country that is already vulnerable to food insecurity? HISTORY NIGER Niger Country Information Niger has suffered from military rule and political instability since its independence from France in 1960. General Ali Saibou dominated with single-party military rule from independence until 1991. The first multi-party elections, held in 1993, aimed to establish a democratic state but political divisions brought the new government to a halt. A military coup led by Colonel Ibrahim Bare replaced the government in 1996, but Bare was killed in 1999 by a counter coup. President Mamdou Tandja was then voted in and re-elected twice until he was deposed in February 2010. Niger is currently under a transitional military government pending the next election period. The government has offered minimal services to its people and has lacked the resources to develop Niger’s economy. Its largely subsistence agricultural base is frequently destroyed by repeated droughts common in the Sahel region. Droughts, desertification, and high population growth have diminished Niger’s economy and repeatedly threatened the country’s food security. In addition, Niger faces serious environmental issues accelerated by the effects of climate change such as overgrazing, soil erosion, deforestation, and endangered wildlife due to poaching and habitat destruction. LOCATION: Western Africa CAPITAL: Niamey POPULATION: 15.8 million SIZE: Slightly less than twice the size of Texas LANGUAGES: French, Hausa, Djerma ETHNIC GROUPS: Haoussa 55 percent, Djerma Sonrai 21 percent, Tuareg 9 percent, Peuhl 9 percent, Kanouri Manga 5 percent, other 1 percent RELIGIONS: Muslim 80 percent, other 20 percent LIFE EXPECTANCY: 53 years CHILD MORTALITY RATE: 121 deaths / NIGER’S DROUGHT & FOOD CRISIS Millet is what keeps most people alive in Niger. This small nation is largely comprised of farmers and pastoralists who depend on rain to sustain the crops and livestock that are their sole sources of income and food. In the past 10 years, Niger has repeatedly suffered from the increased effects of climate change including desertification, deforestation, drought, and plagues of locusts. Niger suffered a serious food crisis in 2005 due to drought. Lack of rain in 2010 led to another massive crop failure of millet and other staples, threatening a food crisis predicted to be worse than that of 2005. The United Nations warned that food supplies were dangerously scarce and that 60 percent of the country’s population was facing hunger. 1,000 live births ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER: 42 percent LITERACY RATE: 29 percent DID YOU KNOW? ■■ Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world; it is ranked near the very bottom of the UN Human Development Index ■■ It is one of the hottest countries in the world, consisting of mostly desert and sand dunes ■■ Only one-fifth of the land-locked country is fit for livestock and limited agriculture ■■ It has some of the world’s largest uranium deposits PRIMARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: 38 percent POPULATION LIVING ON LESS THAN $2 DAY: 63 percent KEY EXPORTS: uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions Sources: UNICEF, CIA World Factbook CHECK IT OUT Read more about climate change and its impact on Niger: http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/niger/climate-change View photos of the 2010 Niger food crisis: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8637487.stm CLIMATE CHANGE IN NIGER ? How have people in Niger responded to the effects of climate change? IMMEDIATE RESPONSE Emergency Nutrition: To prevent and mitigate the onset of severe malnutrition Concern screened, referred, and reinforced the Ministry of Health to provide nutrition support to mothers and children under five. Agaycha Awikguini’s Story Agaycha Awikguini is 50 years old and a widow. She cultivates millet, sorghum and beans on her small farm and lives with her 13 yearold daughter. “I haven’t harvested anything last year because of the drought . . . I cannot buy big quantities of millet anymore because prices have gone up. Before, I used to grind two bowls of millet to cover my day’s needs. Now I only grind one bowl. Since I have changed my food habits, I have lost weight . . . I do not mind going to bed on an empty stomach, but if [my daughter] is hungry she will start crying.” Agaycha got her first cash transfer from Concern in April 2010. “I am very happy! I am going to buy millet . . . Just millet. I will buy the big bag, the 100 kg bag.” CHECK IT OUT Seed and Cash Distributions: Concern sought input from mothers, farmers, and community members who have long fought against hunger in Niger to make sure they were delivering what was needed most. Concern’s staff informed the community they could choose: ❑❑ ❑❑ A seed pack with improved, droughtresistant millet and cow pea seeds, as well as fertilizer and a one-off cash installment of CFA franc 20,000 (roughly $37) Or four monthly cash transfers of CFA franc 20,000 each ($37). Which option do you think most families chose? The majority of families in the Salou village where Concern worked chose the seedand-cash option. Using Mobile Phones: Concern initiated a groundbreaking pilot—distributing cash through mobile phones, text messages, and cash distribution agents. A code is delivered via text message to each recipient, which can be redeemed for cash at mobile dispensing agents. It is the first time mobile emergency cash transfers have ever been used in a French-speaking African country. Why do you think mobile phones were introduced versus distributing cash by hand in communities? LONG TERM SOLUTION Climate Adaptation: To mitigate the effects of desertification and water shortages, Niger’s National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) has focused on water resource management, including an increase in the use of irrigation and the protection of livestock farming through the provision of animal feed in planting and storage banks. Other climate adaptation models have focused on reducing soil erosion around fragile water sources and using quickmaturing crop seeds as well as seed banks to help farmers regulate production in the midst of varied and shorter growing seasons. Disaster Risk Reduction: Concern works closely in the Tahoua region to reduce the chronic vulnerability of poor people in Niger to hazards and disaster risks by strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) approaches. Concern aims to increase resiliency of vulnerable households to risks by forming seed banks, building embankments to protect villages from flooding, rehabilitating and constructing irrigation canals, improving agricultural practices, and introducing droughtresistant seed varieties to ensure consistent food supply in vulnerable communities. Read more about Concern’s mobile phone cash transfers in Niger: http://blogs.concernusa.org/category/niger-food-crisis/ Read about women farmers in Concern’s Unheard Voices campaign: www.concernusa.org/unheardvoices GLOBAL EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ? Can we protect the poor from the effects of climate change? “The poorest developing countries will be hit earliest and hardest by climate change, even though they have contributed little to causing the problem.” —Stern Report “The danger posed by war to all of humanity—and to our planet— is at least matched by the climate crisis and global warming. I believe that the world has reached a critical stage in its efforts to exercise responsible environmental stewardship.” —UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “Some of the scientists, I believe, haven’t they been changing their opinion a little bit on global warming? There’s a lot of differing opinions and before we react I think it’s best to have the full accounting, full understanding of what’s taking place.” —George W. Bush “All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it’s here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.” —Barack Obama “Developing countries are bearing the brunt of climate change despite not being the perpetrators. There is need for a collective effort on the part of the third world to put a stop to it.” —Yahya Jammeh, Gambia President “Developed countries should take up their responsibility and provide new, additional, adequate and predictable financial support to developing countries to enable them to have access to climatefriendly technologies.” —Hu Jintao, China President INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS: WHAT CAN BE DONE? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change. IPCC’s First Assessment Report in 1990 led to the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. Under Article 2 of the Convention, countries are committed to: “Achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous interference with the climate system—within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally—to ensure food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.” IPCC’s Second Assessment Report led to the negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 which passed into international law on February 16, 2005. Developed countries have accepted greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations and have to submit an annual greenhouse gas inventory. Developing countries have no greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations yet but may participate in Clean Development Mechanisms. The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali in 2007 culminated in the adoption of the Bali roadmap, intended to lead to a post-2012 international agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. It was widely agreed in Bali that for poorer countries to avoid the same development mistakes of developed countries, they would need newer and cleaner technologies. The United States has not signed the Kyoto Accord. Do you think the US should join international efforts to stop climate change? IMPACT ON THE POOR AND WOMEN Women are the biggest victims of climate change, as the provision of food, fuel and water falls on their shoulders. Many women struggle with the double burden of poverty and social exclusion. If climate change policies are to be successful, women must have opportunities to: ■■ influence decision-making ■■ build their capacity ■■ lower their vulnerability ■■ and diversify their income sources WHAT CAN YOU DO TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE? DEBATE IT ? Which one of the following solutions do you think is the best sustainable alternative to the energy crisis? Solar — More sun hits the earth in one hour than would satisfy the energy needs of one year. Solar energy is abundant, clean and safe but the component parts of the systems are still expensive and the pay back time is not very immediate. Wind, wave, and tidal power — There is evidence to suggest that enough wind power can be harnessed to fuel vehicles, power plants, and climate and air pollution programs. Nuclear — Climate change is being harnessed as a late hope for a nuclearenergy revival. However, with nuclear power comes the problem of nuclear waste and the danger that civilian nuclear technologies could be adapted for weapons. Transportation — Simple activities like walking, cycling, or using public transport whenever possible can make a difference. When only private transport is feasible, driving at a pace which ensures energy efficiency can lessen emissions. Shipping — Solar panels and huge sails could reduce the emissions of large freight vessels. Air Travel — Environmental damage caused by flights could be offset by planting trees. Sensitive and sustainable forest management — Trees have the potential to absorb about 10 percent of projected global carbon emissions. However, when cut down they contribute global carbon emissions and threaten food, energy, and environmental security. PLEDGE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE Check which one of the following options you pledge to help combat climate change or make your own pledge and petition it at your school! ❑❑ ❑❑ ❑❑ To campaign that my country joins an international treaty within the next two years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become carbon neutral To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2 Each year, the US consumes 100 billion single-use plastic bags at a cost of $4 billion a year. Imagine how many lives we could save by investing that money to better protect vulnerable populations from the effects of climate change? ❑❑ ❑❑ ❑❑ ❑❑ To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation To lobby for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century Can you make a list of everyday actions that you can take to combat climate change? REFERENCES AND RESOURCES CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Crisis http://www.climatecrisis.net/ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change http://www.ipcc.ch/ NASA http://climate.nasa.gov/ United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change unfccc.int US Environmental Protection Agency http://epa.gov/climatechange/ NIGER BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/ country_profiles/1054396.stm IRIN Humanitarian News Analysis http://www.irinnews.org/country. aspx?country=NE UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ niger.html The World Bank http://data.worldbank.org/country/niger ORGANIZATIONS Climate Institute http://www.climate.org/ The World Meteorological Organization www.wmo.int World Health Organization http://www.who.int/globalchange/en/ World Wildlife Fund http://www.worldwildlife.org/climate/ United Nations http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/ climatechange/gateway United Nations Environment Programme http://www.unep.org/ CAMPAIGNS Earth Day http://www.earthday.org/earthday-2011 Earth Hour http://www.earthhour.org Power of One www.powerofone.ie/ CONCERN WORLDWIDE US, INC www.concernusa.org 355 Lexington Avenue 19th Floor New York, NY 10017 212-557-8000 332 South Michigan Avenue Suite 630 Chicago, IL 60604 312-431-8400 This publication is intended to inform readers about the issue of climate change and does not necessarily reflect the views of Concern Worldwide U.S., Inc. or Concern Worldwide on this issue. Concern Worldwide does not officially recommend or endorse any of these organizations. Concern Worldwide U.S., Inc. is a New York not-for-profit corporation exempt from Federal income taxation under section 501(c) (3). Concern Worldwide U.S., Inc. supports projects carried out in the field by Concern Worldwide, registered in Ireland. Photos: Niger, Concern Worldwide.