Dear Editor,
It is said that every action, good or bad, returns to its source. Now, it appears nature is giving back to humanity. Our relentless push against nature’s limits is evident in numerous human activities: the clearing of forests and the pollution of rivers, to name a few. The increasing intensity of natural disasters and the unpredictability of weather patterns strongly suggest that our planet can no longer endure our actions without consequence. A devastating example of this is the heavy rainfall causing widespread destruction to agricultural lands, ruining crops and livelihoods.
On average, we now experience rain every day, often accompanied by stormy winds, hailstones, and flooding. Agriculture is becoming a source of regret for many farmers, as these conditions point towards future food shortages. Crops struggle to thrive when fields are waterlogged, and the saturated soil hinders their growth.
Farmers are left in a difficult situation, struggling with both planting and harvesting. “I now have a lake in my garden,” one farmer despairingly remarked, feeling hopeless about their next meal as their land is no longer productive.
Maize, beans, sim-sim, and groundnuts are the primary cash crops in this region, typically offering high yields and generating good income. Yet, these are the very crops most vulnerable to destruction by the excessive floods. The rain, once a symbol of growth and fertility, now frequently arrives in overwhelming quantities, flooding fields, washing away topsoil, and causing crops to rot before they mature. This transformation is deeply disheartening.
This occurrence is not mere chance; it appears to be nature’s way of returning the pain inflicted upon it in recent decades. Extensive deforestation, unsustainable farming practices, and greenhouse gas emissions have altered the global climate system. Trees that once absorbed carbon dioxide and stabilized soils have been felled for farmland and industry. Wetlands and swamps that once absorbed excess rainwater have been drained and built upon. The result is a landscape less capable of retaining large amounts of water, while the atmosphere is more prone to releasing it violently.
The destruction of crops due to heavy rainfall is more than just a local agricultural problem; it is a warning, a clear sign that our relationship with nature is dangerously unbalanced. If nature is indeed giving back, it is not out of malice but out of necessity for its own survival.
However, these events should not be seen as a harbinger of a lifeless future. There is still time to change our course. By investing in sustainable agriculture, planting more trees (for every tree cut, plant more than two), and avoiding encroachment on wetlands and swamps, we can help restore natural ecosystems and heal our relationship with Mother Earth. This won’t stop the rain entirely, nor should it, but perhaps it can return to being a blessing rather than a curse.
Nature is powerful. When it retaliates, it does so with force. The choice now lies with us: to continue on a path of destruction or to embrace a future where we live in harmony with the world that sustains us.
The writer, Stephen Okwai is a Field Officer, Nature Talk Africa (NaTA)
