Face the Climate: Big city cattle keepers

Big city cattle keepers Kenya is suffering a severe drought. Lack of water and pastures has killed hundreds of thousands of cows, seriously affecting the livelihood of the country’s many cattle keepers such as the Masai tribe. They are seriously dependent on their cattle, which they milk, eat, or sell. Consequently, many have had to give op living in rural Kenya with their cattle, and some are trying to survive by bringing the rest of their animals to big cities like Nairobi where there is still grass to be found in parks, along highways, in cemeteries, by railway tracks, and in front of the presidential residence. Because of the drought, five million Kenyans were short of food this autumn. And the government has asked donors to provide food aid for 10 million people – or 25 per cent of the total population. According to experts, the drought has to do with climate change, which is causing dry periods to strike more frequently and severely. ”The present drought is closely connected with climate change,” says Dr. Dominic Walubengo, climate scientist and director of the Forest Action Network. Text: Hakon Mosbech. Photo: Anders Birch
	Dead cows in rural areas The drought has affected people like the Masais severely, as most of their cows have died because of the lack of water and pastures. Consequently, many cattle keepers have walked to the big cities and other regions where the grass is still growing. Open gallery Back in Joel’s home village of Kajiado just over 100 kilometres from Nairobi, the drought has lasted several years. Therefore, there are cow skeletons everywhere. Joel is helping a friend make his cow stand up. The drought has made the animal so emaciated that it cannot do it by itself. The flies are already taking an interest in the soon to be dead cow. Many of the dead cows are so emaciated that the local hyena do not bother to eat them. A few kilometres from Joel’s mother’s shack there is a well which the villagers may use. However, his mother is getting old, so Joel helps her as much as he can with the domestic work when he is back in the village. A dead cow. Joel has helped his friend make his two cows stand up. They struggle to remain standing, but shortly after, they have to lie down again. A dead cow. Joel’s mother’s next-door shack. A dead cow. The two cows belonging to Joel’s friend. A skeleton in a bush. A few years ago, Joel tried to dig his own well close to his mother’s shack. But although he dug a 10-metre-deep hole, he had no luck. Joel’s mother. The drought kills a lot of living things, but not all.
	Experts: The drought has become continual The drought in Kenya might not just be instrumental in wiping out an entire lifestyle. Leading experts, who claim that the drought has to do with climate change, believe it could lead to violent conflicts over the lack of resources. Play video
	Read the whole story Kenya is suffering a historically severe drought, seriously affecting the livelihood of cattle keepers such as the Masai tribe. In a desperate effort to survive, many have walked to the big city with their cattle. Scientists warn that the drought could cause violent conflicts in Kenya. Read the whole story