The influence of climate change in my home country has completely changed the view of the capital. Climate warming in Conakry is not only dependent on greenhouse gases, according to an article “Climate warming in Conakry: A factor independent of greenhouse gases” by a local news writer Moïse Sidibe, published on November 11th 2015.
Many places in the city are shifting. Inlets that once gave beauty to the capital are periodically disappearing. The lawless or anarchic constructions in those locations are destroying the inlet ecosystem and biodiversity. They are covered with rushes and populated with fish. The mild weather coming from the swamp is now a distant memory. Additionally, the soil dries up and clean air is now a luxury for the people living there. I remember spending hours watching the horizon and breathing to get rid of asthma attacks. There are no more cornices or green spots to relax in. The hardest part is that the government does not include this big problem in its occupations. It will be a great help if the health department could focus on this matter. The next step will be to promote the construction of “green spots” to help the city breath again, not buildings or other projects.
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The article is fascinating because my mother country is just north of Conakry resting on the west coast of Africa, The Gambia. Also known as the smiling coast of Africa because if its geological shape, it’s recently been experiencing increasing dryness likely due to the influx of scorching heat waves that have become more severe in recent years. It’s forests, wild life, and marshlands and valleys have been dwindling where forest fires have become common place in turn forcing most of its unique wildlife away. As it’s a small Nation, it does not have the resources to combat the ordeal on its own, but I believe if the world mounts climate change on her back, even the smallest of Nations can make a difference.
Thank you for this comment. It’s very important that we hear about smaller countries and their struggles with climate change. Your descriptions of your country’s severe heat and the impacts are so real. More people should know about it. Thanks again.