In an article on yahoo.com called "Niger hit by 'double disaster'" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100824/wl_afp/nigerfaminefloodsbritainaid) the country bordering Nigeria was devastated by heavy rain which caused a tremendous amount of flooding throughout the region. The flooding only made matters worse for those living in Niger due to the fact that food is/was scarce throughout the country. The little vegetation that farmers, within the region, were able to grow was washed away from the onslaught of down pouring rain. What is ironic about the situation is that many Nigeriens were praying for rain to fall in order for their crops to grow. The Nigeriens received rain, which I'm pretty sure they are grateful for, but received more than they could handle. Another factor weighing in on the seriousness of the flood was malnutrition among the women and children in the country. The United Nations, which is trying its best to bring food and water to the region, is afraid of the probable outbreak of malaria.
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| Here is an example of a Nigerien child suffering from malnutrition |
The outbreak of malaria could cause a high death toll for the country. Six citizens have already perished due to the combination of the drought and monsoon like rains. Also lost during the flooding were homes, clothing as well as livestock (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11063255). An interesting fact is that there are now three regions within the world that have a considerable amount of homeless due to flooding that have happened worldwide. China has more than 1 million homeless, Pakistan has 20 million and Niger has a little over 100, 000 that are now homeless. Could the outbreak of heavy rains and flooding be an adverse effect of global warming? Or could this be just a coincidence? This is an issue that is quite debatable and is maybe a major topic being discussed in meteorology classes around the world. As for my opinion, I am still teetering on if global warming is as real as it is portrayed.
