Mountains of the Moon: Community consequences

Last week I introduced one of East Africa's key landscapes affected by a warming world: the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, supplier of lakes which feed the Nile. In this first post in this 'mini-blog' series regarding the mountains we reviewed evidence of the extent of glacial retreat due to climate change, but we have yet to cover any wider societal implications of this. How are local tribal traditions affected by this rapidly modifying environment? How are agricultural practices around the mountains expected to alter due to climate change? So, today let's take a brief step away from the physical science of the issue, and instead try to understand how changes in climate are affecting the local population.

The Bakonzo People

Bakonzo way of life will be directly impacted by warming temperatures and glacial recession. (Source)

The large-scale loss of glacial ice in the Rwenzori Mountains has significant implications for the traditional beliefs of the Bakonzo people. The Bakonzo call the mountains their home and have done for many centuries; they hold strong religious ties with this high altitude landscape (Festa 2014). Glacial ice - Nzururu - is the father of the spirits, Kitasamba and Nyabiuya, responsible for human life and fertilisation of the land (Nakileza and Taylor). For them, the mountains are literally the source of life for the surrounding land. With a dramatic loss of their father of the spirits, Nzururu, in the past century, their belief system is directly at stake (Festa 2014). Furthermore, as temperatures are rising, declining ice cover means mountain guiding treks led by the Bakonzo people (a key source of their income) are becoming more dangerous, and thus this form of tourism livelihood is at risk (Nakileza and Taylor).

Agricultural Impacts

Arabica coffee, typically found above 1400m in Uganda (Jassogne et al 2013)
(Source)

For small-scale coffee farmers, already vulnerable livelihoods are at risk in a warming world. Coffee exports are a vital part of Uganda's economy, accounting for 20-30% of foreign exchange profits (Jassogne et al 2013). However, as the climate is changing, so are the niche tolerance areas certain coffee cash crops can be grown. For example, Arabica coffee (Coffea Arabica) has a specific and small tolerance range, only able to be grown in a cool tropical climate, such as that found in the alpine regions of the Rwenzori Mountains (Jassogne et al 2013). Climate mapping by an Oxfam research team found areas suitable for growing Arabica will drastically reduce in the near future as the climate of the mountains warms. Adaptation strategies, such as using shading to cool the coffee canopies, will be wholly necessary for small-holder farmers in the Rwenzori Mountains if the Ugandan people are to mitigate negative financial impacts from rising temperatures (Jassogne et al 2013).

Shifting wildlife patterns and spread of disease

Due to rising temperatures in the mountains, there have been major changes in the altitude range of plants and animals, with some serious human repercussions. Lets use the example of mosquitoes, which carry a parasite that causes malaria. One of the mountain villages, Ibanda, is where trekkers start their hike into the Rwenzori Mountains (Festa 2014). Historically, mosquitoes have never reached this altitude, and thus residents of the village have never been affected by malaria. However, since climate change and warming atmospheric temperatures, mosquitoes can now infiltrate higher altitudes and thus malaria is becoming a more serious common problem in mountain villages like Ibanda (Festa 2014).

Thoughts and reflections

I think to truly appreciate the significance of these mountains in tropical East Africa, you have to understand the wider importance of them to surrounding communities, and ways in which climate change impacts local people and their livelihoods', as well as the more obvious impact on water supply (which I will cover in my next post). Agricultural productivity, entire livelihoods, and religious traditions are all at stake in this part of East Africa as atmospheric temperatures climb and glaciers rapidly recede.