The Serengeti-Maasai Mara ecosystem, famous for the Great Migration and rich wildlife, faces severe threats from climate change, impacting both biodiversity and tourism. A new study shows that over the past 60 years, temperatures have risen by 4.8°C to 5.8°C, and erratic weather, including droughts and floods, has increased. These changes, driven by global warming and climate phenomena like El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, have led to wildlife population declines, migration disruptions, and increased human-wildlife conflict. Droughts cause starvation, dehydration, and heightened competition for resources, while floods can destroy habitats. These events cause the death of wildlife within the Serengeti-Maasai Mara ecosystem, thereby reducing their populations. Local communities and tourism, heavily reliant on the ecosystem, are also affected.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION