58 people have been killed due to a flood in Tanzania. Heavy rains in the region have impacted over 100,000 people according to Aljazeera. Unfortunately, as climate change intensifies, the third world will feel it the most. Tanzania is located in southeast Africa next to the ocean. It makes sense that they would have rough weather but it’s unfortunate that 58 people died because of it.
April is Tanzania’s rainy season however, this season is special because of the ” El Nino” phenomenon. “El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, which occurs on average every 2-7 years” according to NCAA. El Nino makes the rainy season a bit more intense compared to previous seasons.
The Damage
The damages have been devastating for the people of Tanzania. Farms, schools, and all kinds of infrastructure have been impacted as a consequence of the flood. Lives have been lost and children have died as a result of the tragedy. Many have been displaced from their homes and may currently be homeless.
The damage to the farms has been especially terrible. “More than 75,000 farms have been damaged in the coastal and Morogoro areas – about 200km (124 miles) west of the economic capital, Dar-es-Salaam.” according to Aljazeera.
Imperial Climate
Unfortunately, Climate change has significantly impacted all of Africa. There have been tornados, hurricanes, and many other kinds of meteorological events in excess as a consequence of climate change.
In essence, the imperial core steals resources from the imperial periphery and uses them to enrich billion-dollar corporations.
What then happens is that those corporations use manufacturing plants to get the products out but then release so many greenhouse gasses that so much heat ends up trapped in the ozone layer. Even though it isn’t the Africans themselves that are creating the problem, they end up suffering as a consequence. However, Tanzania is trying its best to cope with the situation.
Tanzanian Healing
The Tanzanian government is trying its best to not only recover from the situation but draft a policy to mitigate damage in the future. “Tanzania has plans to construct 14 dams to prevent flooding in future, the spokesman said.” according to Al-Jazeera.
Tanzania is one of many nations that have suffered as a consequence of climate change. However, Tanzania is proving itself to be a resilient nation that is trying its best to heal its wounds.
Written by Kenneth Mazerat
Sources
Aljazeera: Floods kill 58 in Tanzania with heavy rains persisting
NOAA: NOAA declares the arrival of El Nino by
ActiveSustainability: 100 COMPANIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 71% OF GHG EMISSIONS
Reuters: Illegal money flows from Africa near $90 billion, U.N. study says by Emma Farge
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First Inset Image Courtesy of Kevin Schofield’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
