Tucked away in the comfort of our modern homes; water, food
and heating available at the click of our fingers; we appear, for now anyway, relatively
isolated from the direct effects of climate change. It is with ease that we choose to
turn a blind eye towards the reality of the situation. But for the millions who live
in the vulnerable, fragile corners of the Earth – survival is but a constant
battle fought at the frontline against climate change.
Earlier this week, I went to see the premier of an upcoming Al Jazeera Witness documentary at the Frontline Club
somewhere here in London. The film follows the story of a humble, Kenyan farmer, Kisilu Banyak,
and his family as their lives are impacted by the changing climate. Kisilu, his
wife and their nine children, live off the land as did his father and his
grandfather and many generation before him. Mutomo, a previously reliably
fertile part of Kenya, has seen staggering changes over recent years. Times are
getting harder, and extreme, unpredictable weather sees the family being push
to the brink of survival. We see rains
failing and severe drought
contradicted by violent, unpredicted
storms and devastating floods. We
see families abandoning their lands and moving to towns in search of secure
jobs, taking with them traditions, cultures and a sense of community. Kisilu
himself sees his house brutally devastated by a storm, fields of high yielding
crops destroyed in a single night by flash floods, and his children refused education
when fee can’t be paid. Here we see the raw and direct evidence of the human
impact, water and food security problems, as well as social and cultural issues
which rise as a result of climate change. The
film is moving and a true wakeup call.
But Kisilu is no ordinary farmer. Kisilu begins teaching
communities how to adapt to the changing climate by encouraging tree
plantations and effective irrigation systems, driving for long-term, small,
bottom-up solutions; a key strategy for such societies to adapt to climate
change. He is determined man, determined not to run away and turn his back on the
problems that he faces but to tackle them face on; an inspirational man with a
vision of bring communities together in their attempts at tackling climate
change.
The film is an intimate, raw and honest portrayal of life at
the frontline of climate change. Living in our comfortable, modern houses, we
are but naïve to the reality of climate change, but this poignant film gives us
a taste of the reality of the situation faced by many in their day-to-day
battle for survival... and as soon as the lights in the theatre were turned back on,
my life here in London seemed a world away from that lived by Kisilu.
