LWF Sunday Includes Lutheran World InformationLWI 1993 Climate Change – Facing Our Vulnerability 2000 200805 Contents Foreword Youth 14.......Evident.Climatic.Changes.in.Hungary. Voices from the Regions Demand.Urgent.Action 4.........Tanzanian.Maasai.Elder.Recalls.Ample. 14.......Nicaraguan.Church.Takes.Small,.Significant. Resources.from.Today’s.Threatened.Forests. Steps.in.Combating.Climate.Change 4.........Climate.Change.Challenges.Bangladesh’s. 15.......Cyclone-Prone.Madagascar.Adopts.Measures. Development.Efforts to.Cope.with.Erratic.Weather.Patterns 4.........Greenland:.Call.for.Concerted.Stewardship.of. 15 .....From Talk to Action – Environmental Management in Germany’s Hanover Church the.Planet.and.Life 15 .....LWF Staff Identify Priority Areas for Action 5.........Brazil:.“We.All.Live.in.the.Same.Tree” 16 .....Indian Churches Promote “Greening of Faith” 5.........A.Lost.Childhood.for.Future.Samoan. 16 .....Canadian Lutherans Adopt a Stewardship of Generations Creation Initiative LWF Survey 16 .....Ethiopian Church Combines Disaster Relief with Resource Rehabilitation 6.........Climate.Change.Evokes.Old.and.New. Questions.of.Faith Strategies 7.........Respondents.to.LWF.Survey.Emphasize. Change.in.Human.Attitude.to.Creation 17.......How.Can.World.Service.Programs.Become. Part.of.the.Solution? Regional Perspectives 17.......Cambodia’s.Rain-Dependent.Farmers. 8.........Mount.Kilimanjaro.Villagers.Say.Water. Construct.New.Water.Gate Sources,.Animal.Species.Are.Threatened 19.......Prize-Winning,.Energy-Saving.Stoves.in. Eritrea 9.........Australian.Church.Reaches.Out.to. 19 .....Climate Change Mitigation Amid Pervasive Communities.Affected.by.Prolonged.Drought 10 .....Environmental Refugees as Papua New Poverty in Zimbabwe Guinea Islands Disappear 10 .....Czech Church Advocates Environmental Climate Change & Food Security Action Despite Political Stance 20.......An.Ecumenical.Perspective.to.Climate.Change 11.......Storm.Damages.Raised.Climate.Awareness.in. Sweden 12.......Unusual,.Long.Summer.–.A.Sign.of.Climate. LWF Sunday 2008: Change.in.Southern.Chile? Climate Change – Vulnerability, 13.......ELCA.Leads.Community.Action.on.Urgent. Lament and Promise .................. I-IV Environmental.Issues Lutheran World Information World Lutheran The Lutheran World Federation German Editor The Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the – A Communion of Churches Dirk-Michael Grötzsch information service of the Lutheran World 150, route de Ferney [email protected] Federation (LWF). P.O. Box 2100 CH-1211 Geneva 2, The editorial board also included Unless specifically noted, material presented Switzerland Musa Filibus, Rolita Machila, Peter Prove, Tore does not represent positions or opinions of the Samuelsson, Simone Sinn and Judith Straub. LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline Telephone +41/22-791 61 11 of an article contains the notation (LWI), the Fax +41/22-791 66 30 Photo research material may be freely reproduced with E-mail: [email protected] Helen Putsman acknowledgement. www.lutheranworld.org [email protected] Cover picture: Editor-in-Chief Layout The Landsat satellite captured these images Karin Achtelstetter Stéphane Gallay of Mt Kilimanjaro on 17 February 1993 and 21 [email protected] [email protected] February 2000. © NASA/USGS English Editor Circulation/Subscription Cover & LWF Sunday background drawing of Pauline Mumia Colette Muanda Mt Kilimanjaro: © kiliweb.com [email protected] [email protected] No. 05/008 Lutheran World Information World Lutheran FOREWORD Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko © LWF/H. Putsman The images of the disappearing snows will be effective in mitigating the im- find ways of working with other faith of Mount Kilimanjaro give eloquent pacts of climate change—especially communities to protect and preserve witness to the reality of climate on the poorest and most vulnerable the earth and to assure a just and change. So do the testimonies from communities. sustainable life for all. all regions of the world collected in We are called to inspire change At its Tenth Assembly in 2003, this special edition of Lutheran World and to reconnect communities with the Lutheran World Federation made Information on “Climate Change cultural and traditional wisdom— the commitment to “work against – Facing Our Vulnerability.” particularly that of our indigenous climate change and the greenhouse The growing impacts of climate sisters and brothers—regarding ways effect, by acting to decrease the change confront us with our vulner- of relating to and living sustainably in consumption of fossil fuel and use ability as human beings whose lives the world that God has created. The renewable energy resources.” Let us depend on the health of God’s pre- nature and extent of the already visi- make this commitment a reality in cious Creation. And the increasing ble and expected future consequences our daily lives and ministries. evidence of human responsibility for of climate change—including the This publication is a call for reflec- climate change confronts us with our worldwide food crisis—are too vast tion on our vulnerability, for lamenta- failure as stewards of this life-giving to be left only to the scientific and/or tion on our failure of responsibility, planet and its fragile environment. political arenas. They constitute an and for renewing our promises of The warnings have been sounding unprecedented ethical and spiritual good stewardship—and acting upon for decades—in the disappearance challenge to all of humanity. them. of species, the advance of deserts, The threat posed by climate and the cries of Indigenous Peoples change certainly compels us, as around the world. We cannot plead churches, to revisit our biblical and ignorance. theological understandings of Crea- As a global communion of church- tion, and of who we are as part of es, we suffer with those affected in Creation. But since all faith tradi- Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko different parts of the world and are tions recognize the sacredness of General Secretary called to take concerted actions that Creation, we are also challenged to The Lutheran World Federation No. 05/008 VOICES FROM THE REGIONS Voices from the LWF regions speak of changing weather patterns, rising sea levels, melting ice, destruction of forests and coral reefs—all of which adversely affect the livelihoods of millions of people especially the poor, and push back development efforts. The stories in this section present a concerted call for urgent action to change or stop human activity and lifestyles that threaten the survival especially of the most vulnerable communities, and to care for the one, shared planet—Earth—and its Creator-given resources. Tanzanian Maasai Elder Recalls Ample Resources from Today’s Threatened Forests My name is John Mollel, a Maasai elder equate for cultivation. Our people residing in Olmotonyi village, some 20 gradually found themselves struggling km north of Arusha, Tanzania. At 83 to have enough food for survival. years-old, I have seen a lot of changes to To make ends meet, some started the weather and the environment. I re- encroaching on the surrounding forests member in 1947 there were many rivers, for firewood, lumbering, honey and tributaries and springs, abundant with charcoal burning, which led to forest water, most of which are now seasonal fires and drying up of water sources. or have dried up completely. If we had good rains, this would From 1958 to 1970 rains were result in good crops and harvests, reliable, predictable and generally ad- thus there would be no need to equate for our crops and livestock. We Mr John Mollel harvest indiscriminately the forest got poles to construct our houses from © ELCT products. nearby Olmotonyi forest and from the Maasai elder John Mollel was in- slopes of Mt Meru where I live. 1978/79 crops had started drying up terviewed by Mr Ramadhan Kupaza, But from 1972, the weather and some wild animals were dying. Tanzanian consultant on environment became abnormally warm and by The rains became erratic and inad- and development. Climate Change Challenges Bangladesh’s Development Efforts As the seventh most populous nation Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in the world, Bangladesh is also a Department for World Service and major casualty of imminent climate one of Bangladesh’s longest-serv- change. Its 150 million people ing and largest non-governmental include impoverished rural masses organizations (NGOs) has long largely dependent on agriculture, been active in disaster preparedness inhabiting low-lying river deltas, and response, intensifying its efforts where they are at great risk of rising to promote practical adaptation and sea levels and disasters. adjustment on the ground. RDRS Their historic resilience in the works with neglected and deprived face of recurrent disasters including riverine communities at risk to diver- cyclones and flooding from heavy sify livelihoods and farming, promote Lutheran World Information World Lutheran Mr Kamaluddin Akbar seasonal rainfall, and grinding depri- © RDRS ground raising and tree plantation, vation would prove powerless against organize preparedness and risk accelerating climate change. Accord- people. An estimated 1 degree Celsius management at community level, and ing to the Bangladeshi Ministry of rise in temperature along with increas- cooperate with other actors. Environment and Forests, the 0.45 ing climatic irregularity would devas- By Kamaluddin Akbar, RDRS cm rise in sea levels by 2050 predicted tate farming systems already straining executive