The effects of climate change are not palatable.

Since when I was born until now that I am older, I can only say one thing about the African climate and that is the fact that Africa is hot. The fact that some parts of Africa such as West Africa and East Africa are at the equator of the Earth is a major cause for high temperature, coupled with human actions like burning of refuse and release of greenhouse gases through gas emissions which causes the greenhouse effect, ultimately leading to climate change in my country.

Locally, I have seen the devastating effects of climate change. The high temperature alone causes houses to be uncomfortable to live in, since everywhere would be so hot causing people to sweat a lot. Along with the high temperature and profuse sweating comes heat rash. If you have never suffered heat rash, then you need to thank God for your life.

I can't count how many times I have suffered from the terrible itching caused by heat rash. It is no joke. The itching is terrible and uncomfortable. On the flip side is the immense dry weather we normally refer to as harmattan. This one comes with extreme cold that I find it difficult to bathe in the mornings except I’d have to bathe with hot water. What about the dust and skin irritations? Personally, I experience lip breakage during this period. Still, this is just a fragment of the effects of climate change.

About two years ago, I received a call from an aunt who lives in Edo state. She called to tell me that they had been displaced from their home. I was confused at first but after some inquiries,I came to understand that the area where she resides was flooded. The flood was so terrible that people were evacuating their homes to higher grounds just to be safe.

So many villagers in that area lost a lot of their properties as they were carried away by the flood. Some people had to be rescued through special means. That was how bad it was. The flood in question didn't just affect some parts of Edo State alone but it also affected most riverine states in my country like some parts of Delta and Bayelsa State.

There were major erosion and washing away of roads. Water flooded everywhere including homes of people living in low lands. I heard from my aunt that a particular family woke up to find that the flood had carried most of their kitchen items like pots, bowls and the like feim thwir kitchen to somewhere else.

A call for help and assistance was sent out to several states because people who were land owners and home owners turned to become refugees, camping on mountains and school complexes that were built on high ground, due to the flood. My church was part of the movement as we sent financial aid, clothings, pots, plates and pans with other necessary items that we believed were needed by them.

It was a challenging time for those people who were affected by the flood and because my aunt was also directly affected, I learnt about most of the damages caused by the flood at that time from her.

From my personal experience of the effects of climate change, I don't think that it is something a person would want to experience again. Some places were worse off than other places and though climate change effects are not palatable, they can be quite devastating.

Thank you for reading.

Images used are mine.