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Experts warn extreme weather is threatening Africa's wildlife and people alike — here's what's causing it

In the mid to long term, the extreme weather events also lead to an accumulation of young grass, which disrupts the diet of many species during the migration.

In the mid to long term, the extreme weather events also lead to an accumulation of young grass, which disrupts the diet of many species during the migration.

Photo Credit: iStock

Each year, the Great Migration across Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania's Serengeti National Park features millions of animals moving in search of fresh food, land, and water. But as The Conversation reported, this ancient phenomenon is becoming increasingly threatened by extreme weather events, which scientists have linked to the warming planet.

What's happening?

A group of researchers recently published a study in the journal PLOS Climate that dived into the causes and effects of weather changes' impacts on the Great Migration. 

The team documented how weather cycles have been steadily increasing in intensity over several decades, an effect that is directly attributable to the planet's changing climate. 

Specifically, researchers found that rainfall in the area of the Great Migration has been well above average — including the occasional sudden flood — with unpredictable, extremely wet conditions. Conversely, these storms have been interspersed with severe droughts.

The patterns have disrupted the long-established harmony and natural checks and balances of the Great Migration, threatening the lives of every human and animal in the region.

What are the ripple effects of this extreme weather?

Heavy rainfall and floods threaten animals in the short term through drowning and drops in temperatures. But in the mid to long term, they also lead to an accumulation of young grass, which disrupts the nutritional intake and diet of many species during the migration.

Droughts are even more destructive. From bringing in diseases to killing animals through starvation and thirst, droughts push animals to travel farther and on different timelines than they normally would. These movements, as well as increased competition over remaining resources, lead to increased human-wildlife conflict and violence.

And the longer these patterns persist — and intensify — the more they alter other natural behaviors, from mating to nursing. Not only does this threaten the stability of the region, but it also poses a risk to the communities in the area that are dependent on both tourism and conservation dollars to survive.

What's being done to counteract these effects?

Researchers called for "comprehensive and adaptive conservation strategies that enhance resilience by considering the intricate and interconnected interplay between climate change, variability, wildlife behaviour, and human activities."

Many areas have been implementing these types of strategies, from experimenting with cloning technology for endangered species to enacting strict water use laws to closely monitoring corporations as they reduce deforestation.

But broadly, in order to avoid the worsening impacts of these patterns, human-powered pollution needs to drop drastically. This involves the development of, and adherence to, specific plans of governments and polluting corporations so we can migrate away from planet-warming dirty fuels and wasteful systems.

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