1. Climate Change ---------- By Solomon Yohannes September 2009

2. Outlines 1.Climate and Society: Climate norms, variability and changes 2.What is Climate Change from scientific and layman perspective 3.Climate change footprint in Ethiopia 4.Addressing Climate change issues to the public 5.Public expectations from various international CC conferences, protocols and workshops 6.The ways forward

3. 1.Climate and Society: Climate norms, variability and changes Year to year rainfall fluctuation: variability Decreasing rainfall trend: example for climate change 30-years rainfall climatology: climate norm

4. 2.What is Climate Change from scientific and layman perspective  Scientific definition: Consistently the decreasing or increasing of specific climate parameters as compared to the long term climatological means.  Layman definition: Persistent droughts, cold or hot seasons, desertification due to improper land uses and deforestation, Shortage of water, food, pasture, … Infestation of endemic/epidemic diseases  The question is, therefore, how can we compromise such public perspectives with that of the scientific breakthrough and create tangible awareness to realize the real cause of climate change and its short, medium and long term impacts in terms of various socio-economic and ecological senses

5. 3.Climate change footprint in Ethiopia

7.  From the above two figures: Main and short rainy seasons:  A tendency of increasing trend of the seasonal rainfall totals over central Ethiopia (the figure represents a point station)  A tendency of decreasing trend of the seasonal rainfall totals over northern Ethiopia (the figure represents a point station) Dry Season:  There is no significant seasonal rainfall trends over both regions So, what kind of message one can deliver to the public regarding the seasonal rainfall trend over Ethiopia? An Increasing? A Decreasing? What does an IPCC climate change projections indicate about seasonal rainfall totals over Ethiopia?

8. 4.Addressing Climate Change issues to the public  Public education and outreach program Media (audio, visual, printing media) Universities, colleges, schools (academic as well as theological institutes) Civic societies Governmental and non-governmental organizations Political organs  Adaptation and mitigation strategies to unprecedented climate changes in the future Government’s short, medium and long-term development/economic strategies Environmental protection Industrialization, urbanization, natural resource exploitation Carbon trading and sequestration Cultural influence/impact

9. 5. Public expectations from various international CC conferences, protocols and workshops  Clear cut directions for climate change projections  Tangible and workable implementable protocols  Law enforcement declarations on emissions scenario  International laws that legally bind and limit the power of industrialized countries to cut their annual emissions within the agreed periods  New technological innovations that enable the public to avert the anticipated global warming and the associated risks  Willingness of international communities towards the implementation of agreeable manifesto for fo common benefits

10. 6. The ways forward  Climate change has already emerged  Climate change threaten all nations despite the fact that its ultimate impacts may vary  Public must know about the climate change and its impact. Thus, there is a need to take in public institutions in all aspects of climate change issues  Therefore, public should aware about the climate change and its short, medium and long terms effects through education, outreach and awareness creation schemes

11. I thank you for your attention