logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
27m 7s

How can we fight drought in the Horn of ...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

This week we speak to people in the greater Horn of Africa, experiencing the worst drought in 40 years. It's left 23 million people at risk of starvation and new research has found that it was 100 times more likely to have happened because of climate change.

Presenter Sophie Eastaugh hears about a climate adaptation strategy pioneered by the Maasai people. Food insecurity, conflict and perishing livestock are just a few elements of an ever-worsening crisis, with proactive planning difficult for governments with limited resources and other immediate problems. So what can be done to fight the worst effects of the ongoing crisis?

Sophie is joined by: Lanoi Meitiekene, a leader in the Maasai community Joyce Kimutai, Principal Meteorologist at Kenya Meteorological Department Yared Abera Deme, Research Analyst with the International Climate Action team, WRI Africa, Ethiopia.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Sophie Eastaugh Producers: Osman Iqbal and Cesar Vargas Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Up next
Jul 7
Why are electric scooters, mopeds and rickshaws booming?
Delhi’s roads are being taken over by electric mopeds, scooters and rickshaws. More than fifty per cent of two- and three-wheelers are already electric, and the market is expected to continue growing. It’s good news for the fight against climate change. Why has the transition to ... Show More
27m 3s
Jun 30
How could climate change affect my health?
Climate change is having major health impacts around the world - which are only expected to increase as our planet gets warmer. These impacts range from heat stroke to the spread of tropical diseases, from hospitals losing power during extreme weather to the effect on our mental ... Show More
22m 58s
Jun 23
Your Questions Answered
The Climate Question panel discuss how to make homes - and ships - better for the climate. Plus, what about our own carbon footprints? And are oceans or forests better at storing carbon?Answering your head-scratchers are Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate editor; Akshat Rathi, senior cl ... Show More
26m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Drought worsens in East Africa
The long rains of East Africa are forecast to fail again, for the third year running, precipitating a food crisis affecting millions. Science In Action explores the science of the drought, hears about new methods improving forecasts, and what is unusual about the region that make ... Show More
32m 43s
Mar 2022
A Vicious Cycle: Climate and Conflict in the Horn of Africa
Extreme weather events in Africa are becoming increasingly common, often striking in areas already prone to insecurity and scarcity. While the relationship between climate and security is both complex and context-specific, the broad risks are clear: modelling shows that temperatu ... Show More
26m 37s
Nov 2022
Cop27: Who are the real climate leaders?
As world leaders began to gather at Cop27 yesterday, speeches began on the main stage in Sharm el-Sheik. Presidents and prime ministers spoke of the need to rapidly reduce carbon emissions and the horrendous impacts of climate breakdown. But, if previous years are anything to go ... Show More
17m 11s
Sep 2023
How will climate change affect where we can live?
Extreme weather is forcing communities to leave their homes and it's becoming a bigger and bigger issue. What can we do about it? In this edition of BBC Inside Science, Gaia Vince and her guests discuss what climate displacement means for people all over the world. We hear from D ... Show More
28m 6s
Nov 2023
Rammed earth: What is it and can it help tackle climate change?
Cement is said to be responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. In the search for an alternative, more sustainable construction material, building companies in Ghana and other African countries are reviving an ancient technique called ‘rammed earth’. Daniel Dadzie, a BBC repo ... Show More
15m 32s
Nov 2023
Climate emergency
Category 5 hurricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco, was supercharged by global warming; hurricane expert Kerry Emanual tells Science in Action. Also, Brazilian ecologist Erika Berenguer has witnessed the destruction caused by the prolonged drought in Amazonia, where the rivers ... Show More
26m 28s
Sep 2021
How is climate change affecting Madagascar?
Rising temperatures. Drier weather. Four years of drought have taken their toll on Madagascar: the country’s now on the brink of the world's first "climate change famine", according to the United Nations. But why exactly? And what can the island-state do about it?Hosted by Alan K ... Show More
11m 33s
Oct 2023
Bird flu reaches Antarctic region
Fear that the highly infectious variant of avian influenza, H5N1, would reach the Antarctic region and put isolated bird populations at risk has finally come to fruition as the first birds on Bird Island in the Atlantic Ocean have come down with the devastating illness. Science m ... Show More
27m 55s
Nov 2022
How is climate change affecting livelihoods in Africa?
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years. In Kenya the situation is forcing children to drop out of school to help their parents look for food and water. Kenyan President William Ruto recently told the COP27 summit in Egypt that this year alone, 2.5 millio ... Show More
13m 50s