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| https://www.oxfam.org/en/grow-ethiopia-food-crisis-ethiopia/how-climate-change-helping-fuel-massive-hunger-crisis-east-africa |
Several African countries are suffering huge problems of
hunger, some arising from internal conflicts and prolonged droughts. Local food
is not available for humans leave alone domestic and wild animals and thus life
is being extinguished. As large numbers of humans leave home and village for
more hospitable areas as refugees, they expand problems of neighboring areas
and countries too.
International organizations such as the UN and OXFAM
repeatedly appeal for food aid and are able to provide some relief from time to
time. While such aid is necessary, it is only a short term measure and the
question that needs to be addressed is:-
Aside from temporary relief, is there a sustainable solution to rescue these communities from suffering?As a matter of fact there is a solution. It is easy to implement and it will not just help such drought prone communities on a sustainable basis but the planet as a whole by improving climate.
The solution lies in growing new forests in which food and
fodder producing trees are a major proportion. Much forest land has been lost
over the last 150 years or so in presently drought prone countries and their
replacement is essential to improve the situation. It is forests that had sustained human and animal life in Africa for thousands of years earlier. Not only will such forests
provide food and fodder for humans, domestic and wild animals, they shall also ease
conditions of drought. Clouds from oceans are attracted most towards green
lands bringing much needed rain. Not just that, a recent study by NASA shows how forests make their own rains due to evaporation from leaves
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2608/new-study-shows-the-amazon-makes-its-own-rainy-season/
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2608/new-study-shows-the-amazon-makes-its-own-rainy-season/
Trees like Moringa produce nutritious food and fodder within
a year of planting while many other varieties such as mulberry and Jack fruit do
likewise over a few years. The precise trees to be planted would depend on the
local climate. Aside from food producing trees, new forests must also include
some highly drought resistant trees that sustain a forest in dry years,
nitrogen fixing ones to improve health of forest and also some that can be
pruned for firewood. Trees such as the common yellow flowered cassia is drought
resistant, fast growing and produces fuel wood of high calorific value. Its pruned branches are replaced rapidly by new growth. On the other hand
Moringa tree has a porous wood quite useless as firewood but its leaves,
flowers and beans are all highly nutritious food as are the leaves of the white
mulberry tree. See the following note for more on these trees:
The first step to develop such forests is to start tree
sapling nurseries in selected areas. The saplings may then be planted in
designated areas near human habitations in rainy season. Leveled mud tracks
suitable for tractors would be required through forest land to carry water to
newly planted trees in the first two or three years after plantation. Later
these tracks shall fill up through natural propagation of forest trees.
Low lying areas where rain water collects need to be
identified in such new forests to expand into lakes and ponds through
excavation. Such lakes increase moisture content and ground water table in the
forest. They also help to sustain forest life and may also provide fish.
The development of such forests needs international aid and
involvement. It shall help all concerned. More trees on the planet help to
bring down global temperature as well as mitigate adverse climate extremes. See
the following note for more on this
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