Monday, June 16, 2008

                                Kenya - Atlas of Our Changing Environment provides compelling evidence of the extent and severity of such dramatic change over the past 30 years on the  region's environment due to both natural processes and human activities. The Atlas is the first major publication to depict environmental change in all of Africa's countries using satellite imagery. By telling a vivid, visual story of the dramatic impacts on the continent's landscapes, the Atlas is a resource for remedial action at local, national, and regional levels.

One of the Atlas's most striking features is its site-specific, side-by-side display of historical and current remote-sensing imagery. "Before and after" satellite images show different kinds of environmental change: forest conversions and the loss or degradation of habitats; urban growth; altered hydrology (dams, shrinking lakes, river diversions, and drained wetlands); degraded coastal areas; mining developments; dryland modification; and the impacts of climate change. While it's generally a challenge to present visually the impacts of climate change and land degradation in Africa due to the often long intervals between cause-and-effect involving these two issues, the Atlas powerfully tells the story of climate change and its impacts through paired satellite images. Vignettes from people's lives provide personal accounts, describing how environmental change has affected them, how they have adapted to it, and also helped to slow further deterioration or restore environmental quality.
read on

No comments: