| dc.description.abstract | Climate change is an environmental challenge facing the world today especially developing countries. This is one of the most serious threats to the society, economy and environment. Climate change effects are anticipated to have profound implications for biodiversity, human health and sustainable livelihood in the twenty first century. Climate change is already having an impact on the dynamics of African biomes and its rich biodiversity, although species composition and diversity is expected to change due to individual species response to climate change conditions. Additionally, despite Africa's fast-growing human population and the associated impacts on natural resources, it is one of the least studied continents in terms of ecosystem dynamics and climate variability. Furthermore, climate variability has had far-reaching effects to human health, and includes, but is not limited to, the following: heat stress, air pollution, asthma, vector-borne diseases (such as malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis (also referred to as swimmer's itch or snail fever) and tick-borne diseases), water-borne and food-borne diseases (such as diarrhoeal diseases). Moreover, there is a strong link between climate and East African livelihoods. East Africa depends heavily on rain-fed agriculture making rural livelihoods and food security highly vulnerable to climate variability such as shifts in growing season condition. Yet, agriculture contributes 40% of the region's gross domestic product (GDP) and provides a living for 80% East Africans. One of the most widespread and potentially devastating impacts of climate change in East Africa will be changes in the frequency, intensity, and predictability of precipitation. | en_US |
