Ecology: Climate chaos!!

By: Mohammed Ahmed Al-Feelabi

For sudden rain to cause chaos and confusion in the street, i.e. what experts call the explosion of clouds, is possible in light of the lack of adequate preparation, but for that to cause confusion to misconceptions, requires breaking down information the layman, so that they do not go in explaining the phenomenon beyond Science.

Noon, a hard working girl who works at an institution involved in intellectual activities, lives in the outskirts of the capital, Khartoum, saw one evening a sudden explosion of clouds. Due to her humble knowledge, Noon was affected by the phrases that knocked her ears on a daily basis to mistakenly paint the situation as climatic chaos. She said that she waded into waters to the outskirts of her residence, only to be surprised that she had set foot on dry land.

Since 2005, significant increases in precipitation have been observed in some parts of the globe, while some parts have become drier. According to the data of the International Committee on Climate Change, the areas affected by drought have increased since the 1970s, and the United Nations Environment Program points to Lake Chad as an example, due to a decline in its ranking in the world in terms of size and amount of water due to a decline in the rate of rainfall in the coast.

There are several reasons for changing the pattern of the Earth’s climate system, which arise from five main components of the climate system: the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere (living organisms). The climate system changes according to internal fluctuations and external influences.

Al-Hajj, a weather forecaster, confirms that the precipitation here and the drought there are related to the divisions of the fall season into periods that we call (samples). In specific samples, clouds form locally, and the movement of the jet stream is so weak that it cannot move a cloud. However, regarding the sample of the front (August 18-31), the jet stream becomes active and the clouds of the Ethiopian and Eritrean plateau enter to the east of the country and with which the humid currents prepare the climate for rainfall.

Climate change has its effect on altering precipitation patterns, droughts and floods, and the geographical redistribution of pests and diseases. Does Noon and a broad sector of the Sudanese understand this matter? And that the El Niño phenomenon that occurs due to a change in temperature in a distant ocean can reach its impact in the heart of Africa?

As for what has happened to the climate of Khartoum over the years, al-Nazir says: “Khartoum falls within the dry desert climate, and as of this year and the coming years it will witness a humid, hot and rainy climate.” He added: “Climate changes are in favor of Sudan, with the rain belt advancing to the north, which necessitates finding policies that will help dedicate the heavy rains to agriculture, otherwise more disasters would occur.” For instance, tremendous losses in lives and property to the torrential rains.