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An aerial view of the swollen Lake Baringo which has submerged homes, farms and roads. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
For farmers, climate change is no longer a distant environmental threat or confined to global conferences. It is increasingly a question of whether there will be a harvest at the end of the season.
Across the world, extreme heat, prolonged droughts, excessive rainfall and flooding are disrupting agricultural systems built around increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. From Europe to Latin America, farmers are confronting the same uncomfortable reality: less dependable climate.
Africa is particularly vulnerable. In Kenya, the conversation around the anticipated El Niño rains has focused on preparedness for flooding and other potential disasters. The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that the evolving El Nino conditions could enhance rainfall during the October-November-December season, increasing the risk of flooding in vulnerable areas.
