Africa faces disproportionate burden from climate change and adaptation costs
Africa bears an increasingly heavy burden from climate change and disproportionately high costs for essential climate adaptation, according to a new report from the WMO
African countries face an increasing climate change bill, according to findings in State of the Climate in Africa 2023. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the African Union Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology released the report at the 12th Climate Change for Development in Africa (CCDA) Conference in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Monday, 2nd September 2024.
On average, African countries are losing 2–5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and many are diverting up to 9% of their budgets responding to climate extremes. In sub-Saharan Africa, the cost of adaptation is estimated to be between US$30-50 billion annually over the next decade, or 2-3% of the region's GDP.
In 2023, the mean temperature was 0.61° C higher than the 1991-2020 average and 1.23° C above the 1961-1990 long-term baseline. By 2030, it is estimated that up to 118 million people living on less than US$1.90 per day will be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat in Africa, if adequate response measures are not put in place. This will place additional burdens on poverty alleviation efforts and significantly hamper growth. Investment in early warning systems will be required to prepare for escalating high-impact hazardous events and to protect lives and economies.
H.E. Ambassador Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission, said:
“The State of Climate in Africa 2023 Report highlights the urgent need for investing in meteorological services and early warning systems to help adapt to climate change and build resilience in Africa. As the impacts of climate change continue to manifest globally, the African continent stands at a critical juncture.
Africa faces disproportionate burdens and risks arising from climate change related weather events and patterns, which cause massive humanitarian crises with detrimental impacts on agriculture, and food security, education, energy, infrastructure, peace, and security, public health, water resources, and overall socio-economic development.”
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