KUZAMA KWA SEHEMU YA ARDHI ILIYO PWANI

On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 3:52 PM, Mwita wrote:


Ocean 'swallowing islands' By Ray Naluyaga

The Indian Ocean level is fast rising causing some low lying islands to be submerged under the sea or even disappear, according to Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume.

Addressing the 35th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris yesterday, Mr Karume said Ras Nungwi on the northern tip of Unguja island in Zanzibar, has lost about 100 meters of beach.

"We are also witnessing severe weather patterns causing loss of biological species and changing of seasonal rains. The bi-modal pattern of rainfall distribution in some parts, is gradually switching to un-modal pattern, as short rains slowly fade away with severe consequences to agricultural yields thereby affecting agricultural exports and local economies," he said.

He said due to unsustainable pattern of production and consumption, human beings have contributed to environment pollution and global warming. As a result of global warming, we are now experiencing the melting of mountain glaciers such as that on Mt. Kilimanjaro, which has affected water sources and tourism potential.

He told the conference that there is also the melting of polar ice, the drying up of rivers and lakes. Some African lakes, he said, are shrinking in size with fish harvests decreasing thereby threatening the livelihood of millions of people who directly or indirectly depend on fish and aquatic products.

The Zanzibar leader said climate change affect energy production as well because of depleted water resources and vegetation covers. Plant species that are vulnerable to drought give way to drought resistant species, hence a loss to biodiversity.

"Temperature rise is linked to activation of vector borne diseases, with malaria becoming increasingly challenging.Climate change also impact on tourism due to possible decrease in wildlife population," said Mr Karume.

He said global warming and climate change continue to affect poor nations, most of which are in Africa. These countries are less industrialized and thus have contributed little to greenhouse gas emissions, and yet they bear the heavy burden of climate change.

"Tanzania supports the UNESCO strategy of action on climate change and the organisaton�s Director General�s proposal to look for innovative methods of addressing this problem including the desirability of a standard setting instrument for ethical principles on climate change," he said.