Anthony Arnold Ochieng

 Research Paper Name Institution Course Date Contribution of Riparian Deforestation to Climate Change Introduction Climate change is defined as significant changes in precipitation, temperature wind patterns, and other climatic factors that occur for a long period. Climate change is considered a global threat and countries all over the world are joining hands to help curb the negative effects of climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC), global climate is projected to continue to change over the century and beyond, this primarily depends on the amount of heat-trapping gases majorly known as Green House Gasses emitted globally and how sensitive the Earth's climate is to those emissions Over the last 50 years, human activities have been the major cause of global climate change particularly through the burning of fossil fuels, (WHO 2015). Trees are being cut down to provide wood fuel; this leads to the emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere exceeding the average 0.04% of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. CO2 is considered a strong Green greenhouse gas, (GHG) others include nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Deforestation is a key contributor to human-induced climate change, when forests are cleared or burnt they release the carbon they store, this is because trees act as carbon "sinks" taken up from CO2 from the atmosphere. Deforestation along with other types of land use changes accounts for close to 11% of annual global CO2 emissions. It also contributes to temperature regulation this effect occurs mostly on local and regional scales, this occurs through evapotranspiration which has a cooling effect on the air above. (Thomas Harrison 2018). These effects demonstrate how deforestation has a significant role in regulating temperature and precipitation According to the United Nations (UN), forests cover 31% of the global land area. Forests are home to most earth's terrestrial biodiversity, they supply water, provide livelihoods, mitigate climate, and are essential for sustainable food production, yet deforestation continues to take place at an alarming rate. The UN recommends every country to increase its forest cover to a minimum of 10%. Some countries are still below the required cover thus the need for an integrated approach and strategic plan to make sure they reach the target. Some parts of those countries lacking behind are already experiencing climate change evidenced by floods in the past years. Riparian deforestation is a major problem when it comes to regulating microclimate in terms of CO2 emission, temperature, or air quality. (Khisa et al 2012). Cutting down trees creates open fields resulting in more run-off grounds, run-off accumulates in the river and peak discharge. This often results in the backflow of rivers during heavy rains, the magnitude and the impacts of the phenomenon have been disastrous increasing at each level leading to dire devastation of the economic and social infrastructure of the Riparian communities. Most riparian zones are characterized by steep gradients of the terrain; water therefore flows at a high speed. Given the nature of such topography, the basins are likely to experience high levels of soil erosion thereby silting the river and drainage channels. (JICA 2014). Human activities such as deforestation, crop farming, settlements, and livestock grazing along the river basin drive flood occurrences this is mostly susceptible during the heavy rains as well as considering the topography of the basin. (JICA 2014). Even in recent days, the vulnerable riparian zones have been experiencing floods due to climate change. According to several research Floods are becoming more and more a usual natural event to the riverine communities this is due to human activities mainly deforestation along the river banks creating run-off grounds. (Brown et al., 2009). Although the ultimate effects of climate variability on riparian habitats and their associated national forest system watershed are largely unknown at this time, it's evident that deforestation plays a big role in occasional flood risks. With this continuing riparian deforestation climate change will also continue being a problem. Planting trees is an important intervention to curb these variabilities and to conserve our ecosystems to enable sustainable resource management. (Lawrence et al., 2014). In Conclusion is right to say that the specific effects of climate change will vary, depending on local hydrology (especially groundwater), topography, streamside microclimates, and current conditions and land use. These special habitats are typically biodiversity hotspots for both plants and animals. They also play a significant role in maintaining functional hydrologic regimes in watersheds and providing cool water for the spawning and rearing of many fish species. Although restoration of riparian areas is a priority for federal managers, competition among different users creates a complex social and political environment. The added stress of climate change makes riparian wetlands restoration and conservation even more challenging. Reference Brown et al 2009. J. Brown, A. Wyers, L. Bach, A. Aldous Groundwater-dependent biodiversity and associated threats: a statewide screening methodology and spatial assessment of Oregon The Nature Conservancy, Portland, OR (2009) http://www.conservationregistry.org/projects/1752 (accessed 16.05.28) Brown et al., 2010 J. Brown, L. Bach, A. Aldous, et al. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems in Oregon: an assessment of their distribution and associated threats Front. Ecol. Environ., 9 (2010). Lawrence et al., 2014 D.J. Lawrence, B. Stewart-Koster, J.D. Olden, et al. The interactive effects of climate change, riparian management, and a nonnative predator on stream-rearing salmon Ecol. Appl., 24 (2014). JICA (2005) Strategy for Flood Management for the Lake Victoria Basin. Prepared by Japan International Cooperation Agency- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Thomas H, Cameron, A., Green, R. et al. Extinction risk from climate change. Nature 427, 145–148 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature0212 Khisa et al, 2012. Background Information on Nyando Riparian Wetland. Raburu P.O., Khisa P. and Masese F.O.