ニジェール：大水害で学校開始を一カ月ずらす処置

　ここ30年で最悪の大水害だそう。

「The floods have been described as the worst in 30 years」

　それで学校の学期開始を一カ月程ずらす決定。

BBC Floods force Niger to delay new school year　6 days ago

Danai Nesta Kupemba & Will Ross

　10月2日開始予定を28日に。…まあ許容範囲でしょうか。学業はできるだけ間を空けない方が宜しい。コロナで1カ月遅れただけでも…ちょっとこう…事態が変化して学業放棄に至った例が…。

「Schools in Niger will start the new academic year almost a month late because of heavy rainfall and flooding, says the military government.

“Several schools have been affected, and others are being occupied by those impacted,” a government spokesperson said on the state-run broadcaster.

Authorities have pushed the start date from 2 to 28 October.」

　この数週間で死者300を出す惨事。そもそもこの辺はあんまり雨が降らない所だったわけで、突如まとまった雨が降ったらすぐさま大水害になる―というわけだ。気候変動だわなあこれ。

「Over the last few weeks, the West African country has been battered by relentless downpours, resulting in over 300 deaths either due to drowning or buildings collapsing, according to the interior ministry.」

　そんなわけで、泥と藁で構築した大モスクなどがダメージを受け、今後が心配されるに至る。

「There is also growing concern around the damage and destruction of buildings with cultural significance.

A few weeks ago, a 19th Century mosque made from wood and straw collapsed in Zinder, the country's second-biggest city.

There is also fear around how much damage a historic centre in the northern city of Agadez, known as the gateway to the desert, has endured. The site is a Unesco World Heritage Site.」

　国連世界遺産もあるそうで―数百年を問題なく過ごした建物たちが、ほんの1～2年の異常気象で崩壊の危機に至るとは、やはり気候変動の悪影響というべきでしょうよねえ。