Here’s a concerning news for rose lovers. The Valentine’s Day staple is under the threat of climate change, a report has revealed. Countries which grow these flowers extensively- ranging from Kenya to Colombia- are struggling as rising temperatures are affecting the environment giving rise to issues like melting glaciers and droughts leading to water scarcity- a severe blow to the commercial rose industry.
On the other hand, UK roses are facing the risk of increased fungal infestations, like the black fungus, whose growth is accelerated by high temperatures and increased humidity, stated the report by the UK philanthropic organization Christian Aid.
“Climate change has significant impacts on rose cultivation around the world. The effects of rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased pest and disease pressure can lead to heat stress, reduced flower quality, disrupted flowering seasons, and damage to rose plants.”- Charles Shi, Botanical Horticulturist
at Kew Gardens.
Increased Temperatures In Africa Can Disrupt The Valentine’s Day Tradition.
Roses take the center stage when it comes to Valentine’s Day and reports estimating the sale of more than 80 million rose stems worldwide on this very day further verifies the claim.
However, as a water-intensive plant combined with specific growth conditions this flower is facing the brunt of global warming. The optimal temperature range that facilitates the growth of roses is between 15-
24ºC and temperatures above this range can severely hinder the process of flowering. It also needs “free-draining soil that does not dry out”.
As per the report, the Netherlands, Ecuador, Kenya, Colombia and Ethiopia are major exporters of this flower- African countries being “the major suppliers for the European market, with Kenya being the largest supplier”. The climate crisis has already gripped these countries with many scientific reports predicting further rise in temperatures.
“Climate models have a high confidence that East Africa will continue to see temperature increases, both
during the daytime and nighttime. Extreme temperatures are expected to get both hotter and more frequent,
something that might take roses out of their preferred temperature ranges. The models are less clear on
future precipitation trends, but droughts from 2020-2022 were found by an attribution study to have been,
conservatively, 100 times more likely to have been made stronger and more likely because of climate
change44. Roses do not like to dry out,” stated Christian Aid.
“I am very concerned about the impact of climate on rose growing in Kenya. We’ve seen increased disease pressure due to unusual weather patterns – sometimes we have excessive hot weather which sees a jump in
the number of pests, and other times unusually low temperatures which increases fungal infections, reducing yields. Another example is availability of not enough water for irrigation – while this has not yet affected us since our source of water from Lake Naivasha has been very stable the last 10 years, it is a concern that with climate change such a source could be threatened,” said Patrick Mbugua, General Manager, Wildfire Flowers, Kenya.
What’s The Solution?
The report has come up with a few recommendations like cutting down on carbon emissions. It stated how multiple nations are violating their COP28 commitments towards clean energy and continuing to drill oil and gas thereby, polluting the environment.
It has also called for an increase in climate finances, compensating those affected by climate change to help them adapt to the changing environmental patterns. Additionally, holding polluters, especially big corporations and industries, accountable is also crucial. Taxing their profits can help generate revenue which can be used towards compensation and environmental restoration.
This year’s COP29 is also set to focus on climate finance.
Here’s hoping the world can overcome the climate crisis ingeniously, safeguarding the future of Valentine’s Day and its beloved roses.
Also Read: PM Narendra Modi champions environmental responsibility with launch of Green Credits at COP28
