Transcript Solomon Yohannes`s presentation

Climate Change ---------By
Solomon Yohannes
September 2009
Outlines
1. Climate and Society: Climate norms,
variability and changes
2. What is Climate Change from scientific
and layman perspective
3. Climate change footprint in Ethiopia
4. Addressing Climate change issues to
the public
5. Public expectations from various
international CC conferences,
protocols and workshops
6. The ways forward
1.
Climate and Society: Climate norms, variability and
changes
Figure 1.1: Hypothetical seasonal rainfall totals (mm) as recorded at station 'X'
for the periods of sixty years
900
800
600
500
400
300
200
100
59
57
55
53
51
49
47
45
43
41
39
37
35
Year
33
31
29
27
25
23
21
19
17
15
13
11
9
7
5
3
0
1
Seasonal rainfall totals (mm)
700
30-years
rainfall
climatology:
climate norm
Decreasing
rainfall
trend:
example for
climate
change
Year to
year rainfall
fluctuation:
variability
2.
What is Climate Change from scientific and
layman perspective

Scientific definition:
 Consistently the decreasing or increasing of specific climate
parameters as compared to the long term climatological means.
Layman definition:
 Persistent droughts,
 cold or hot seasons,
 desertification due to improper land uses and deforestation,
 Shortage of water, food, pasture, …
 Infestation of endemic/epidemic diseases

 The question is, therefore, how can we
compromise such public perspectives with that of
the scientific breakthrough and create tangible
awareness to realize the real cause of climate
change and its short, medium and long term
impacts in terms of various socio-economic and
ecological senses
3.
Climate change footprint in Ethiopia
Figure 1.2: Seasonal rainfall trends as observed in central Ethiopia
1200
1000
Kiremt
Bega
Belg
600
Linear (Kiremt)
Linear (Belg)
Linear (Bega)
400
200
Year
2005
2003
2001
1999
1997
1995
1993
1991
1989
1987
1985
1983
1981
1979
1977
1975
1973
1971
1969
1967
1965
1963
1961
1959
1957
1955
1953
0
1951
rainfall totals (mm)
800
3.
Climate change footprint in Ethiopia
Figure 1.3: Seasonal rainfall trends over northern Ethiopia
1400
1200
800
Kiremt
Bega
Belg
Linear (Kiremt)
Linear (Belg)
Linear (Bega)
600
400
200
Year
2005
2003
2001
1999
1997
1995
1993
1991
1989
1987
1985
1983
1981
1979
1977
1975
1973
1971
1969
1967
1965
1963
1961
1959
1957
0
1955
Rainfall totals(mm)
1000
3.
Climate change footprint in Ethiopia
 From the above two figures:

Main and short rainy seasons:

Dry Season:
 A tendency of increasing trend of the seasonal rainfall totals
over central Ethiopia (the figure represents a point station)
 A tendency of decreasing trend of the seasonal rainfall totals
over northern Ethiopia (the figure represents a point
station)
 There is no significant seasonal rainfall trends over both
regions
 So, what kind of message one can deliver to the
public regarding the seasonal rainfall trend over
Ethiopia? An Increasing? A Decreasing?
 What does an IPCC climate change projections
indicate about seasonal rainfall totals over
Ethiopia?
4. Addressing Climate Change issues to the public
 Public education and outreach program
 Media (audio, visual, printing media)
 Universities, colleges, schools (academic as well
as theological institutes)
 Civic societies
 Governmental and non-governmental
organizations
 Political organs
 Adaptation and mitigation strategies to
unprecedented climate changes in the future
 Government’s short, medium and long-term
development/economic strategies
 Environmental protection
 Industrialization, urbanization, natural resource
exploitation
 Carbon trading and sequestration
 Cultural influence/impact
5.
Public expectations from various international
CC conferences, protocols and workshops
Clear cut directions for climate change projections
Tangible and workable implementable protocols
Law enforcement declarations on emissions scenario
International laws that legally bind and limit the power of
industrialized countries to cut their annual emissions within
the agreed periods
 New technological innovations that enable the public to
avert the anticipated global warming and the associated
risks
 Willingness of international communities towards the
implementation of agreeable manifesto for fo common
benefits




6. The ways forward
 Climate change has already emerged
 Climate change threaten all nations despite
the fact that its ultimate impacts may vary
 Public must know about the climate change
and its impact. Thus, there is a need to take
in public institutions in all aspects of climate
change issues
 Therefore, public should aware about the
climate change and its short, medium and
long terms effects through education,
outreach and awareness creation schemes
I thank you for your attention