As an observer agency of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and a member of the World Conservation Fund for Conservation of Nature, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (HEREINPC) continues to pay close attention to the latest developments in the global fight against desertification and drought, as well as in the world conservation of nature. Recently, the International Department of the China Green Development Council learned from an internationally renowned journal about an article entitled "Saving East Africa's wildlife from recurring drought". The article describes the current situation and solutions to the devastating disasters caused by repeated droughts in East Africa to wildlife. The International Department of the Green Society is compiling this article as follows for the reference of interested readers.
Image source: Ed Ram/Getty Images. On December 9, 2021, a giraffe died on a road near the village of Matanaha in Wagir District, Kenya.
Over the past two decades, the Horn of Africa — particularly Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya — has experienced more severe and frequent droughts. The affected areas of the three countries, including vast pastures, are home to millions of people, livestock and wildlife. These areas are divided into arid and semi-arid areas. These drylands also constitute biodiversity hotspots. It is home to endangered species such as hirola antelope, African wild dog, Somali giraffe and Grevy's zebra. But due to frequent severe droughts, these species face an uncertain future.
I am a Kenyan scientist and environmentalist. I am the founder and director of the Kenya's Hirola Conservation Programme. In remote areas of the kenyan and Somali borders in volatile areas, I have over 15 years of experience with communities and wildlife. I have witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of drought on wildlife and the habitats around them.
For example, based on my observations over the past year and monitoring of herds, about 30 endangered Heinz wildebeests (about 6% of the global population) have died directly from drought. Heinz wildebeest lives in a very small area, and we are able to monitor almost every herd of animals in their range.
Similarly, during the same period, members of the Wildlife Conservation Society of North-Eastern Kenya and the Somali Giraffe Project reported the deaths of more than 200 giraffes, mainly small giraffes and female giraffes. The data were estimated through community reconnaissance monitoring within the protected area. There have also been recent reports that about 70 elephants in the Tsavo area have died from drought in the past year. But the good news is that there are steps we can do to protect wildlife, which I'll go into more detail later.
Effects of drought
Pastures are already arid areas, and droughts further put pressure on natural resources such as water and pasture. This makes livestock and wildlife more vulnerable to malnutrition, disease, mass deaths and competing for resources.
In a study in eastern Kenya, I found that between 1970 and 2009, increased drought led to a reduction in the area of land covered by grassland, but Heinz wildebeest was extremely dependent on grassland for survival. As a result, Heinz wildebeest populations have dropped by 98%. Elephant populations have been similarly affected, with cattle populations falling by 74 percent.
Drought also means that herders will be looking for pasture and water near wildlife areas. Livestock diseases have the potential to spread to wildlife populations, causing mass deaths.
This has happened before. For example, an outbreak of rinderpest in the mid-1980s, the morbillivirus virus, caused many Heinz wildebeest deaths. In 1991, rinderpest also occurred in the Mara region, with 95% of bison and wildebeest dying.
In fact, since the prolonged drought in 2021, the number of reported cases of bovine trypanosomiasis, also known as "sleeping sickness," has increased in parts of southern Garissa, Kenya. This is a concern because at least 24 Heinz wildebeest died of rinderpest in 1998.
Drought favors the invasion of diffuse woody plants. This reduces habitat for wild species and increases the risk of extinction of local species.
Heinz wildebeest and the endangered Ethiopian wolf are also among species that have declined due to a warming climate and the spread of woody plants.
Repeated droughts
Wildlife in these areas lives with humans. People here struggle to survive and keep their livestock alive. Poaching has increased in the protected areas where we work.
As a result, the natural conditions of drought become a major threat to all wildlife species. The increased frequency of droughts means that there is little or no time to recover before the next drought arrives.
That's what we're going through right now. In September 2021, Kenya experienced a prolonged drought declared a national disaster. The small amount of rain in December 2021 will only temporarily ease the situation, and the fresh forage will only last about a month. In the hot month of 2022, the partial supply of water deteriorated rapidly. Because of the lack of moisture, crops cannot germinate or even gradually wither. According to statistics, farmers' crop yields are only about 30% of the normal level.
Humans and animals migrate to core wildlife areas with more undisturbed vegetation than in open public areas. On March 23, 2022, due to the intensifying resource conflict, the Kenyan government imposed a curfew from dusk to dawn in some areas.
Lack of ability to cope with change
The countries of the Horn of Africa are highly vulnerable to prolonged droughts, volatile rainfall and rising temperatures, but they are not equipped to cope with these climate changes. Governments rely on crisis management, and responses tend to be humanitarian, ignoring wildlife.
(Source: Oliver Zeid/Shutterstock, Pictured is Heinz Wildebeest)
As I mentioned earlier, I set up the Heinz Wildebeest Conservation Project and worked together. Listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, the Heinz wildebeest is one of the 10 most likely species to become extinct. In the past four years, its number has dropped by 95%. The programme includes long-term climate change responses and short-term emergency responses to ensure that wildlife, local communities and their livestock survive droughts. We offer some lessons for policymakers.
Reliable solution
Well-managed protected areas are key to biodiversity conservation. Because wild animals alter their geographic range in response to climate change, it is necessary and meaningful to create a network of protected areas within an area to adapt to the way migration is done. This also benefits local tourism, employment and income growth. Meanwhile, we have a 10-year ranching project to restore 10,000 acres of grassland in the Horn of Africa. It creates corridors that connect wildlife habitats.
We have also established two protected areas within the native range of Heinz wildebeest. Here, elephants are making a comeback and we are seeing more and more African wild dogs, Somali giraffes, lions and Glivi zebras. National and county governments can build on these efforts.
Our urgent initiatives to alleviate drought in wildlife and communities include:
1. Delivering water and fuel to the community;
2. Provide food and livestock supplies for wild animals;
3. Regular patrols to identify and rescue vulnerable animals;
4. Open up wildlife water intake channels by reducing invasive bushes and mapping all natural water intake points to achieve long-term conservation;
5. Vaccinate livestock and treat wild animals to reduce the chances of disease transmission and improve animal health.
In addition to expanding these measures, policymakers must also invest in water management and infrastructure maintenance. As droughts become more frequent, there are many things we can do to reduce their impact. This requires a multi-agency approach that brings together communities, governments, and conservationists.
Original Text:
https://theconversation.com/saving-east-africas-wildlife-from-recurring-drought-183844
Compiler: Lan Yilin
Review: Daisy
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