Story Ark: tales from southern Africa's climate tipping points

Story Ark: Chapter 1 Dust Bowl - Here come the dunes


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The recent years-long drought may have tipped parts of the Northern Cape in South Africa towards an irreversible dust bowl, following decades of heavy grazing and mining. 

Dust Bowl investigates the recent desertification trends in Namaqualand: the causes; the consequences to conservation and livelihoods; and who holds the power to make the region’s development decisions. Plant poaching also emerges as a grave new threat to the region’s rare succulent diversity.

Here come the dunes is the first story in this chapter. 

As Earth’s average temperature slips beyond 1.5°C of average warming and threatens to lurch the climate outside of its safe zone, a visit to the Richtersveld shows what happens locally when a region crosses a tipping point, threatening conservation and livelihoods.

https://www.storyark.co.za/1dustbowl

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Story Ark: tales from southern Africa's climate tipping pointsBy Leonie Joubert