Climate change endangers crops: rainy seasons in Africa are becoming more extreme!

Climate change endangers crops: rainy seasons in Africa are becoming more extreme!

The alarming impacts of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and climate change are inextricably linked and are shaping the future of our planet. According to a study that evaluated comprehensive climate simulations and satellite data between 2000 and 2020, the destruction of the Amazon is not only leading to more extreme weather conditions, but is also endangering people's livelihoods and native flora and fauna. The cleared areas experience more intense rainfall during the rainy season, which can lead to serious flooding, while the dry season is characterized by a lack of evaporation, favoring drought and a higher risk of forest fires, such as vienna.at reported.

To illustrate the severity of the situation: These changes caused by deforestation not only endanger the climate, but also biodiversity, as they reduce the CO2 absorption by the trees. The Amazon, a hugely important CO2 store and habitat for countless species, is being increasingly destabilized by continued deforestation. The scientists are therefore calling for urgent measures to protect and reforest this vital region, which is spread across nine countries and is one of the last large virgin forests on earth.

Global weather changes in Africa

But it's not just the Amazon that is affected: another study from the University of Reading shows that the rainy seasons in parts of Africa are being severely affected by climate change. In the coming decades, rainy seasons in western and southern Africa are expected to start later and be more intense, which could be particularly damaging to plants with delicate flowers, such as cocoa and coffee plants. This could have drastic consequences for agriculture and the livelihoods of the people living there, as a shorter growing season can significantly affect crop yields, such as scienceaq.com shows.

The increased intensity of rainfall could lead to increased flooding, while long dry periods reduce soil moisture and harden the surface layer. These unpredictable weather conditions make agriculture, in particular, which relies on regular rainfall, extremely vulnerable. Overall, it is clear that climate change combined with man-made deforestation is creating dangerous weather dynamics that will affect both Europe and Africa.