Green Deeds Vol.8. visible signs of climate change in my community ( Bamenda North West Region Cameroon.)

Hello Steemians,
trust your day is unfolding well.I want to express gratitude to @thegreens for this wonderful contest.Its a most loved for me and I really want to share my experiences as a passionate environmentalist.

Here is my understanding of climate change.

Climate change simply difined, is the differences that comes with the changes in season and temperature at a particular place and time. There are alot of changes in climate that have been noticed in my community in recent years and most evident in 2021. I am an organic farmer in Bamenda, Nkwen and in the course of growing vegetables, I have noticed alot of changes as a result of climate change.
The changes have either aggravated to become more severe or have changed to something new. However, human actions have largely contributed to climate change in my community.Some of these actions include burning fossil fuels, burning the bushes and cutting down trees for construction of houses or wood. Consequently there is a constant release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from most of these activities.The trees that should take in the carbon dioxide released into the air are instead cust down and sadly not replaced. Bellow are some of the changes I have personally observed so far are:

Changes in Biodiversity.

In the past years during the months of August and September ,we used to catch crickets and termites in the mornings before we go to school or in the evening, few hours into the night .This time around ,we do not have the same experience because of increase in temperature heavy down pour or inconsistent rainfall. Some of these insects have either died or reduced in number. The cutting down of trees and burning of forests have destroyed the habitat of bees and other animals that used to ease pollination while harvesting nectar for production of honey. The air has become more polluted than before and a high spread of diseases has left many people sick as a consequence of climate change. The cutting down of some water conservation tress has left a low water supply in some areas and some water sources have either dried up or the water table has dropped. This has compelled families to cover long distances to go fetch water expossing them to more risks.

Poor handling and use of farm chemicals.

The use of farm chemicals like fertilizers , herbicides,fungicides insecticides and pesticides have destroyed alot of fauner and flora. Most farmers have chosen the easy way to farm by using herbicides and alot of fertilizers to grow crop, killing alot of microbes.This has futher contaminated water and soil which in most cases is unsafe for drinking and other uses. Alot of biodiversity action by soil organisms is destroyed. The emission of these chemicals into the atmosphere and infiltration into the soil has contributed to climate change.In the past we used to collect and drink rain water but today the colour of the rain water alone tells that it is not worth drinking.

Changes in temperatures.

There has been some unusual changes in temperature where some mornings are freezing cold, the sunshine between midday and 3 pm is scourging and unbearable to either walk or work in it. Also ,the nights are hotter and sweaty such that someone sleeps in Bamenda without a blanket.These changes in temperature have affected plants , humans and animals alike.

Sparing rainfall/ heavy down pour

In my community we often observe two seasons. The rainy and the dry seasons. During the rainy season, there has been alot of differences recorded in rainfall , unlike in the past. In March when farmers planted their crops with the coming of the first rains, they were supprised to see that rain fell very sparingly. As a result of inconsistent rainfall, there has been a drop in yields of groundnuts,beans and maize this year . Heavy down pours in recent months , have resulted in land slides carrying houses and farm land. In some cases snowfall has strangely been recorded In some parts of Bamenda accompanied by heavy rainfall.

Climate change is as a result of so many activities. One activity gives rise to another. Only a conscious effort to refuse and reduce what we cannot reuse ,shall we have to recycle. This will help mitigate climate change. Above all ,planting more trees will go a long way to help balance the Climate.