‘Climate resilience requires investments in Africa’s infrastructure’

With the increasing frequency of weather extremes disproportionately affecting African economies and societies, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has advocated increased investments in hydro-meteorological infrastructure and early warning systems.

The agency revealed this in its latest report entitled: “State of the Climate in Africa 2023” released at the 12th Climate Change for Development in Africa (CCDA) Conference. WMO, the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the African Ministerial Conference for Meteorology co-authored the report in collaboration with partners.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the report estimated that climate adaptation will cost $30 billion to $50 billion accounting for about two per cent to three per cent of the regional Gross Domestic Product per year over the next decade.

The report recommended systematic investment in the climate information system and early warning system components, exploring innovative financing mechanisms, capitalising on the continent are right to the energy transition, embracing initiatives aimed at building Africa’s climate resilience, ensuring that adaptation remains the priority, and the need to actively engage in the global stock-take.

The WMO report emphasised that investments in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Africa are needed to enhance data collection and improve forecasting capabilities to strengthen the ability of these institutions to issue early warnings and advisories for extreme events. Essentially, it stated that there is a particular need to invest in cutting-edge technologies and systems to enhance the accuracy and lead-time of weather, climate, and hydrological forecasts.

Climate-related hazards, including droughts, floods, cyclones and heat waves, exacerbate food insecurity, water scarcity, and displacement, and cause African countries to lose, on average, two to five per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) yearly, with many countries diverting up to nine per cent of their budgets into unplanned expenditures to respond to extreme weather events, the report said.

It revealed that African mean near-surface air temperature in 2023 was 0.61 °C above the long-term average of the 1991–2020 climatological standard normal and 1.28 °C above the 1961–1990 average, adding that 2023 was one of the three warmest years for Africa in the 124-year record.

On the temperature trends, it noted that the African continent continued to observe a warming trend, with an average rate of change of around +0.3 °C/decade between 1991 and 2023, compared to +0.2 °C/decade between 1961 and 1990.

“Sea level around the African continent continues to rise. Rainfall deficits between July and September 2023 affected parts of northeastern and northwestern Nigeria, northern Benin, and northeastern Ghana, resulting in localised shortfalls in agricultural production.

All six African sub-regions have experienced an increase in the temperature trend over the past 60 years, compared to the period before 1960. The warming has been most rapid in North Africa, around +0.4 °C/decade between 1991 and 2023, compared to +0.2 °C/decade between 1961 and 1990. Southern Africa has experienced the lowest warming trend compared to the other sub-regions, around +0.2 °C/decade between 1991 and 2023,” it said.

WMO Secretary General, Prof Celeste Saulo, observed that the continent experienced heat waves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts in 2023. While many countries in the Horn of Africa and northwestern Africa continued to suffer from exceptional multi-year drought, others experienced extreme precipitation events leading to flooding with significant casualties. These extreme events had devastating impacts on communities, with serious economic implications.

The organisation further said African countries and their respective policymakers should adopt holistic and integrated approaches to navigate the complexities of climate change negotiations, building resilience and a sustainable future for the next generations.