Page 67 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

A Landscape Experiences Transition Climate change in the South African drought belt is occurring more rapidly and bringing impacts that are more severe than the global average, according to a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These conditions rank the republic among the 30 driest countries on earth. Rainfall accumulates at a rate roughly 40 percent lower than the annual world average. Heat waves, rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and intense floods are evidence of the changes occurring here. These conditions further degrade deforested and excessively grazed rangelands where family-owned livestock roam. Climate shifts also diminish the waterways that run through the rangelands. Kruger National Park, in the biosphere's eastern region, is considered the world's premier wildlife viewing area—home to 147 species of mammals, 507 species of birds, 114 species of reptiles, 49 species of amphibians, and 34 species of fish in the park's seven rivers. Unlike some regions of South Africa, rainfall in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region's escarpments remains ample, ranging from 39 to 78 inches (1,000–2,000 mm) per year. The water runoff helps sustain natural systems and people in the Lowveld region, where rainfall averages just 15 to 25 inches per year. K2C has used GIS technology to monitor conditions and document polluted waterways in residential areas and locations where sand mining operations exist. The data makes it clear that stakeholders must act now to protect water availability and purity to sustain life in the biosphere in the decades ahead. In the biosphere, water flows from breathtaking escarpments that reach into the clouds in the western region and then moves through vulnerable rural villages and commercial agriculture operations at lower elevations. Biomes of forest, grassland, and savannah also exist in this biodiversity hot spot. The eastern reaches of the biosphere include protected nature parks. The flagship is Kruger National Park, a renowned tourist destination. The park is considered the world's premierwildlife viewing area—home to 147 species of mammals, 507 species of birds, 114 species of reptiles, 49 species of amphibians, and 34 species of fish in the park's seven rivers. However, extreme drought in the biosphere's subtropical Lowveld region caused a shortage of food for the park's wildlife in 2015 and 2016. Rangers had to put down 350 hippos and buffaloes to reduce the competition for resources. Technology Aids Communication and Outreach The K2C team takes a modern, inclusive approach to outreach that makes stakeholders with disparate interests a force for action and equity. GIS technology supports K2C's monitoring in the field; collecting and analyzing data; and, ultimately, providing environmental education for community 66 Drought