The type of climate experienced in any given area tends to infl uence the activities of the people living in that area.
These include;
a) Farming:
Climate helps farmers to know when to plant and harvest their crops.
Climate also infl uences the types of crops grown in an area.
In coastal areas where it is hot and wet, it is possible to grow crops like coconuts, sugarcane, cashewnuts and sisal.
b) Settlement:
Climate can attract or discourage people from settling in an area. Settlement in a desert area is scarce.
Many people tend to settle in cool and wet environments.
c) Natural habitats:
Climate affects the growth of natural habitats like forests, rivers and lakes.
For example, Equatorial climate makes it possible for forests to grow. Forests provide timber for construction and for making other products like paper.
d) Industries:
In some areas, climate supports operation of industries.
An example is Magadi area.
In this area, hot and dry conditions encourage a high rate of evaporation. This makes it possible for soda ash and salt crystals to form.
As a result, mining is an important activity there.
e) Tourism:
In dry areas like the Nyika plateau, large areas of land have been set aside for wildlife conservation.
Wild animals attract tourists from foreign countries who bring the country foreign exchange.
Sometimes climate changes because of various factors.
They include;
a) Natural conditions:
Climate is believed to change naturally every ten years or so. These changes may result in too much or too little rain.
b) Deforestation:
This is the cutting down of trees without planting others.
As a result, little moisture goes into the atmosphere.
These results in a decrease in the amount of rain received.
c) Pollution:
Factories release harmful gases into the atmosphere.
These gases change the composition of gases in the atmosphere.
This causes the world’s temperatures to rise. This condition is known as global warming.
d) Earth’s movement:
The earth’s path around the sun is not constant. As the earth rotates, it causes day and night.
This also causes an area to experience different seasons at different times of the year.
Climate change infl uences human activities in the following ways;
a) Too much rainfall cause fl oods which affect farming activities and transport. Floods also cause destruction of property and death.
b) Little or no rainfall results to an increase in temperature.
This results to drought which does not support farming activities as crops and pastures dry up.
This causes famine and results to deaths of people and animals due to lack of food.
c) Hot and dry conditions may also cause desertifi cation hence resulting to a shortage in water supply.
d) Harsh conditions force people to migrate from dry areas to wetter areas. This may result to deforestation, as people clear forests to get land for settlement.
This in turn affects the cycle in which rainfall is formed resulting to dry conditions.
