![Cropped Field in Africa](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/01_28_2011/txo0REd55L_01_28_2011/medium/cropfield.jpg)
Young boys working in a newly cropped field in Africa.
In parts of eastern Africa, drought is of increasing concern, as poor families suffer from food shortages and the inability to grow crops and sustain livestock. Stunted growth in children due to malnutrition has also been linked to climate trends in Africa.
Drought conditions are expected to continue as global temperatures continue to rise and rainfall declines across parts of eastern Africa.
This poses increased risk to millions of people in Africa who currently face potential food shortages.
What’s being done to help?
The USGS is involved in a variety of research efforts to help understand current and future conditions in Africa, helping to inform plans to provide aid.
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, or FEWS NET, is one endeavor that has already made great strides in helping to address this issue. FEWS NET helps target more than $1.5 billion of assistance to more than 40 countries each year.
FEWS NET examines the populations of the developing world with the most food insecurity, identifying critical situations in which food aid will be needed. These are populations whose livelihoods are typically tied to subsistence rain-fed agriculture and pastoralism.
FEWS NET is sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace and the USGS is actively involved.
FEWS NET at the United Nations Climate Convention
A USGS presentation on FEWS NET will be a featured side event on November 30, 2011, at the United Nations 17th annual Conference of the Parties (COP-17) in Durban, South Africa. The convention’s purpose is to develop international agreements and a declaration of policies and practices for combating climate change and its impacts around the world.
![Herder Moving Cattle in Africa](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/01_28_2011/txo0REd55L_01_28_2011/medium/herder.jpg)
A herder moves cattle through a barren landscape in eastern Africa.
Climate forecasts and remote sensing help spot future trouble
FEWS NET has developed its own climate services to provide decision makers with early identification of agricultural drought that might trigger food insecurity. Scientists use climate forecasts to develop forward-looking food security assessments that are based on expected agricultural outcomes for the season ahead.
Since networks of ground observation stations are often sparse or reported late in FEWS NET countries, satellite remote sensing of vegetation and rainfall fills in the gaps. Remote sensing from space allows for rapid, accurate assessments of a broad range of environmental and agricultural conditions. USGS scientists provide the technologies and expertise to support remote sensing for FEWS NET activities.
Early warning of famine in Somalia helps pre-position food supplies
On July 20, 2011, the United Nations declared parts of Somalia as a region of famine. The decision was supported by FEWS NET and USGS observational evidence of conditions in the area.
The declaration was the culmination of early warning communications encouraging — months before the crisis — that government and other agencies pre-position food and supplies in the region.
“None of the many uses of Earth-observing satellites is more vital — or has as much potential for prompting timely humanitarian intervention — as famine early warning,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “Remote sensing from space allows USGS scientists to provide rapid, accurate assessments of a broad range of environmental and agricultural conditions.”
The eastern Horn of Africa, the continental region that encompasses Somalia, has experienced two consecutive seasons of very poor rainfall resulting in the worst drought in 60 years. Crops have failed, livestock deaths are widespread, and food prices are very high. While the rains this winter have been good, food prices remain high, and the food security situation remains insecure.
Stunted growth linked to malnutrition and climate change
Other USGS research is helping to identify the impacts of a changing climate on Africa’s people. Scientists recently discovered that malnutrition and dry hot living conditions are linked to stunted growth in Mali, West Africa.
USGS research found that Mali was becoming substantially warmer and a little bit drier. Scientists also knew that farmers and those who make a living raising sheep, cattle, goats, or camels were poor, and that stunted growth was occurring throughout Mali.
Scientists wondered if there could be a link between human health and increasingly warm and dry conditions.
To investigate, the USGS worked with the University of California, Santa Barbara, to study climate observations and demographic and health data. The Demographic and Health Survey program routinely compiles data from surveys in 90 countries to study trends in health and population. Scientists analyzed statistics on specific villages in Mali and found that there was a link between a warmer climate and increased stunting.
Population growth combined with the impacts of warming will further increase these health impacts.
Stunting was also linked to other factors, such as mother’s education and the water supply system. Women’s education, improved water supplies, and agricultural development could help to address malnutrition and stunting in Mali.
An article on this research was published in in the journal, Applied Geography, by San Diego State University, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the USGS.
![Drought Impacts to Livestock in Somalia](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/01_28_2011/txo0REd55L_01_28_2011/medium/livestock.jpg)
A Food Security Assessment in Somalia found severe impacts on livestock due to drought conditions.
Other studies underway
Other new research includes the discovery that the warming of the Indian and western Pacific oceans (which is linked to global warming) affects rainfall over large areas of the Horn of Africa. As the globe has warmed over the last century, the Indian Ocean and western Pacific have warmed especially fast.
The resulting warmer air and increased humidity over the Indian and western Pacific oceans produce more frequent rainfall in that region. The air loses its moisture during rainfall, and then flows westward and descends over Africa, leading to decreased rain in parts of eastern Africa. Trends toward increased frequency of drought that we are seeing now are likely to continue into the future as warming continues.
A few recent articles on this research were published in the journal, Climate Dynamics, by scientists with the USGS, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The most recent article concludes that global warming will lead to a decrease in rainfall during the summer monsoon season, from June to September, across southern Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and northern Uganda. Another article concluded that eastern Africa, particularly Kenya and southern Ethiopia, will also have a significant decrease in rainfall during the long-rains season from March to June.
USGS scientists are working hard to translate these technical studies into reports for decision makers. To date, they have completed summary fact sheets focused on Sudan and Kenya.
Scientists also found that some regions, like northern Ethiopia, are not getting drier due to current warming temperatures. Rainfall varies dramatically across all of eastern Africa, with high mountainous areas typically receiving many times the rainfall received in low-lying areas. Therefore, agricultural growth in these climatically safe regions could help offset rainfall declines in other locations.
Start with science
Scientists are looking at clues and changes in nature to understand the impacts of global warming. In Africa, impacts are seen across the landscape — on farms and even in humans.
By starting with science, well-informed decisions can be made to help Africa as it faces drought, famine, and health concerns.
FEWS NET partners include the USAID, Chemonics International, the USGS, NASA, NOAA, and the USDA. The Geography Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is a partner to the USGS in this effort.
Want more information?
Listen to a podcast interview with USGS scientists as they discuss ongoing efforts to understand conditions in Africa.
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Using coral growth records and measurements of changing ocean chemistry from increased atmospheric CO2, USGS scientists are providing a foundation for predicting future impacts of ocean acidification and sea-level rise to coral reefs.
Added: Friday, February 25th, 2011
Increased dust storm activity may result from enhanced aridity in the Southwest, according to a USGS study.
Added: Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
Provide your input on the draft USGS Global Change Science Strategy by April 8, 2011.
Added: Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
Sea-ice habitats essential to polar bears would likely respond positively should more curbs be placed on global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new modeling study published today in the journal, Nature.
Added: Monday, December 13th, 2010
Landscape photos taken in the same place but many years apart reveal dramatic changes due to human and natural factors. The USGS Desert Laboratory Repeat Photography Collection, the largest archive of its kind
in the world, is 50 years old.
Added: Monday, December 13th, 2010
Decreasing pH and warming temperatures are changing ocean conditions and affecting coral and algal growth in South Florida. USGS scientists are conducting field measurements to learn more.
Added: Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Many coastal wetlands worldwide including several on the U.S. Atlantic coast may be more sensitive than previously thought to climate change and sea-level rise in the this century.
Added: Monday, November 22nd, 2010
USGS findings support recent predictions that climate change will stress ecosystems at lower elevations more than higher elevations. This information may guide future conservation efforts in helping decision makers develop regional landscape predictions about biological responses to climate changes.
Added: Thursday, November 18th, 2010
The Earth as Art 3 collection, the latest set of Landsat satellite images selected for their artistic quality, reveals an intricate beauty in Earth’s natural patterns.
Added: Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
USGS scientists are investigating sea turtles and their habitats in Dry Tortugas National Park to provide insight that will be used as decision-support tools for managing coral ecosystems.
Added: Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
Looking for information on natural resources, natural hazards, geospatial data, and more? The USGS Education site provides great resources, including lessons, data, maps, and more, to support teaching, learning, K-12 education, and university-level inquiry and research.
Added: Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
The timing of animal migration and reproduction, and observing when plants send out new leaves and bear fruit, is increasingly important in understanding how climate change affects biological and hydrologic systems. Photo credit Copyright C Brandon Cole.
Added: Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
The United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) is working to connect Earth observations with public health, agriculture, climate, and data management and dissemination.
Added: Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
USGS studies the relationships among earth surface processes, ecological systems, understanding current changes in the context of prehistoric and recent earth processes, distinguishing between natural and human-influenced changes, and recognizing ecological and physical responses to changes in climate.
Added: Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
The USGS Science Strategy is a comprehensive report to critically examine the USGS's major science goals and priorities for the coming decade. The USGS is moving forward with these strategic science directions in response to the challenges that our Nation's future faces and for the stewards of our Federal lands.
![Public Lecture Flyer A screenshot of the public lecture flyer. It features a vulture flying across a field of green with the words "Wind Energy and Wildlife - the challenges of wind-energy development and wildlife conservation"](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/07/Screen-shot-2012-07-16-at-12.32.21-PM-150x150.png)
Added: Monday, July 16th, 2012
By: Manuela Huso
7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
![Combined Image See caption:](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/04/Combined-Image-150x150.jpg)
Added: Monday, April 9th, 2012
By: Rachel Pawlitz
After nearly 2 years of meticulous research, academic and government scientists confirmed that the 2010 oil spill had damaged local coral ecosystems
![JoshuaTreePierceFerryCole See caption:](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/03/JoshuaTreePierceFerryCole-150x150.jpg)
Added: Wednesday, March 21st, 2012
By Jessica Robertson
In recognition of World Forestry Day, let’s take a glimpse at USGS science to understand the fate of forests from climate change.
![March PLS Feature Image A montage of images relating to white-nose syndrome, including a bat with white-nose, and USGS researchers working in a lab](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-02-16-at-4.55.35-PM-150x150.png)
Added: Thursday, March 1st, 2012
By Melanie Gade
Join us on March 7 to learn about bat white-nose syndrome, which has killed an estimate 5 million bats, and to discuss the profound impacts this emergent wildlife disease may have in the 21st century.
![IMG_0038 IMG_0038](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/02/IMG_0038-150x150.jpg)
Added: Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
David Hebert
The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
![Coral Reef Affected by White Syndrome Coral reef affected by Montipora White Syndrome. Note the large swath of white skeleton tissue surrounded by normal (brown) corals.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/01/MWS1-150x150.jpg)
Added: Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Thierry Work, Jessica Robertson
Scientists have discovered an outbreak of coral disease called Montipora White Syndrome in Kāneohe Bay, Oahu. The affected coral are of the species Montipora capitata, also known as rice coral.
![NormanSamplingActivities_l NormanSamplingActivities_l](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/11/NormanSamplingActivities_l-150x150.jpg)
Added: Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
Kara Capelli
Recent USGS research shows that climate, vegetation, groundwater recharge rate, and proximity of the contaminants to the water table can all affect and control natural removal rates.
![setac_logo SETAC Logo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/11/setac_logo-150x150.gif)
Added: Monday, November 14th, 2011
Alex Demas, Diane Noserale
USGS scientists will join thousands of scientists, managers, and decision makers in Boston this week to present new findings on toxics at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference in the Hynes Convention Center, Nov. 13-17.
![USGS Science for a Changing Bay USGS Science for a Changing Bay](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/11/Featured-Image-150x150.jpg)
Added: Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Bill Rambo, Amelia Barrales
On Nov. 3, USGS scientists Patrick Barnard and William Ellsworth will present a public lecture in Menlo Park, CA, providing Bay Area residents information about USGS research in the San Francisco Bay Area, including recent discoveries beneath San Francisco Bay and ongoing studies to better understand earthquake probabilities and the potential hazards associated with strong ground shaking.
![Avian-Flu.2011.07.12 Avian-Flu.2011.07.12](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/09/Avian-Flu.2011.07.12-150x150.jpg)
Added: Monday, September 12th, 2011
Melanie Gade
Taking advantage of USGS expertise in satellite telemetry, geospatial mapping and analysis and waterfowl migration monitoring, researchers have tracked waterfowl across Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa and discovered new flu transmission links.
![Embedded-Image-11 Embedded-Image-11](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/09/Embedded-Image-11-150x150.jpg)
Added: Monday, September 12th, 2011
Catherine Puckett
USGS is working in collaboration with numerous state and federal agencies and tribes to obtain approval for field trials with vaccine-laden, peanut-butter flavored baits and evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine in grasslands.
![Feature-Image-1-300x192 Feature-Image-1-300x192](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/09/Feature-Image-1-300x192-150x150.jpg)
Added: Monday, September 12th, 2011
Catherine Puckett
Psychedelically colored wolves depicted by thermal imaging will shed light on how mange affects the survival, reproduction and social behavior of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.
![USGS Evening Lecture: Global Food Security in the 21st Century A montage image showing circles of fresh produce, pollution, water, and drought over the globe](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/08/Something-150x150.jpg)
Added: Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
By: Prasad Thenkabail
7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
![Sampling at Finley National Wildlife Refuge See caption:](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/05/Sampling-at-Finley2_George-Gentry_USFWS_3-11-11_resized-150x150.jpg)
Added: Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
By: Natalie Sexton
USGS-led survey finds that national wildlife refuges rate highly with visitors.
![Butterfly on Sneezeweed See caption:](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/05/press1-150x150.jpg)
Added: Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
By: Jessica Robertson
As the climate has warmed, many plants are starting to grow leaves and bloom flowers earlier. A new study published in the journal, Nature, suggests that most field experiments may underestimate the degree to which the timing of leafing and flowering changes with global warming.
![Featured See Caption:](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/04/Featured-150x150.jpg)
Added: Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
By Barbara Wilcox
Stressed agricultural lands may be releasing less of the moisture needed to protect the breadbasket of a continent.
![cropfield See caption:](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/04/cropfield-150x150.jpg)
Added: Thursday, April 12th, 2012
By: Jessica Robertson
Spring rains in the eastern Horn of Africa are projected to begin late this year and be substantially lower than normal.
![JoshuaTreePierceFerryCole See caption:](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/03/JoshuaTreePierceFerryCole-150x150.jpg)
Added: Wednesday, March 21st, 2012
By Jessica Robertson
In recognition of World Forestry Day, let’s take a glimpse at USGS science to understand the fate of forests from climate change.
![Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/03/Gulkana-Samples1-150x150.jpg)
Added: Thursday, March 1st, 2012
By: Jessica Robertson
A new study concludes that fossil fuel emissions are likely contributors to a substantial amount of organic carbon found on glaciers in Alaska. Fossil fuel emissions, which contain organic carbon, can speed up the rate of glacier melt when deposited on glacier surfaces. In addition, the organic molecules associated with these deposits can be transportedContinue Reading
![IMG_0038 IMG_0038](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/02/IMG_0038-150x150.jpg)
Added: Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
David Hebert
The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
![drillrig1LG drillrig1LG](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/01/drillrig1LG-150x150.jpg)
Added: Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Carolyn Ruppel, USGS Gas Hydrates Project, and Diane Noserale, USGS Communications
Despite news articles warning of large-scale releases of methane due to climate change, recent research indicates that most of the world’s gas hydrate deposits should remain stable for the next few thousand years.
![PLS_Flyer_Feb2012 image Flyer for the February 2012 Public Lecture: The View from Space](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/01/PLS_Flyer_Feb2012-image-150x128.jpg)
Added: Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
Melanie Gade
Join us on February 1 to view the Earth from space, and discuss the profound impact Landsat has on many facets of our economy, safety, and environment.
![Coral Reef Affected by White Syndrome Coral reef affected by Montipora White Syndrome. Note the large swath of white skeleton tissue surrounded by normal (brown) corals.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2012/01/MWS1-150x150.jpg)
Added: Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Thierry Work, Jessica Robertson
Scientists have discovered an outbreak of coral disease called Montipora White Syndrome in Kāneohe Bay, Oahu. The affected coral are of the species Montipora capitata, also known as rice coral.
![setac_logo SETAC Logo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/11/setac_logo-150x150.gif)
Added: Monday, November 14th, 2011
Alex Demas, Diane Noserale
USGS scientists will join thousands of scientists, managers, and decision makers in Boston this week to present new findings on toxics at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference in the Hynes Convention Center, Nov. 13-17.
![USGS Science for a Changing Bay USGS Science for a Changing Bay](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/11/Featured-Image-150x150.jpg)
Added: Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Bill Rambo, Amelia Barrales
On Nov. 3, USGS scientists Patrick Barnard and William Ellsworth will present a public lecture in Menlo Park, CA, providing Bay Area residents information about USGS research in the San Francisco Bay Area, including recent discoveries beneath San Francisco Bay and ongoing studies to better understand earthquake probabilities and the potential hazards associated with strong ground shaking.
![Spatial distribution of USGS sampling locations and CO2 concentrations across the US Spatial distribution of USGS sampling locations and CO2 concentrations across the US](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/10/Featured-Image1-150x150.jpg)
Added: Monday, October 24th, 2011
Jessica Robertson
Rivers and streams in the United States are releasing substantially more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than previously thought.
![Planting Seeds to Stabilize Sand Dunes in Navajo Nation This image shows USGS scientists working with students and members of tribal nations to plant seeds on the sand dunes in the southwest as a means to help facilitate plant growth and dune stabilization. The USGS is studying conditions in this area and helping decisionmakers identify strategies to maintain sand dune stability and enhance the area's ecology. You can find out more about the USGS project at http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/navajo.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/09/Featured-Embedded-Image-11-150x150.jpg)
Added: Friday, September 23rd, 2011
Jessica Robertson
Climate Change Impacts to Tribal Communities The USGS is working with Native American communities and organizations to understand climate change impacts to their land and neighborhoods. Projects include interviews with indigenous Alaskans to understand their personal observations of climate change, as well as studying how climate change is impacting sand dunes and posing risksContinue Reading
![Phenocam Image of Shenandoah National Park view of the Shenandoah Valley from a USGS camera placed on Stony Man Mountain in the Shenandoah National Park to record forest leaf color and condition through time.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/09/Featured-Embedded-Image-1-150x150.jpg)
Added: Friday, September 23rd, 2011
Jessica Robertson
As climate changes, it affects the timing of when leaves emerge, the amount of foliage that grows as well as the timeframe when leaves begin to fall.
![Mountains over Copper River, AK Mountains towering above the mouth of the Copper River from the coastal Gulf of Alaska.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/09/Featured-Image2-150x150.jpg)
Added: Friday, September 16th, 2011
Jessica Robertson
How will accelerated glacial melting over the next 50 years as a result of climate change affect the unique Gulf of Alaska and Copper River coastal ecosystems? USGS scientists are studying these processes and impacts.
![Ranch in the Green River Valley Photograph of a ranch in the Green River valley in the Rocky Mountains of western Wyoming.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017065533im_/http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/files/2011/09/Featured-Image1-150x150.jpg)
Added: Friday, September 16th, 2011
Jessica Robertson
USGS scientists are assessing the potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere for storage in other Earth systems through a process called carbon sequestration.