The 2023 report highlights the growing burden of climate change on Africa, which is experiencing disproportionate impacts compared to other regions of the world.
According to this document, published during the 12th Climate Change for Development in Africa Conference (CCDA) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Africa is facing a rise in temperatures slightly above the global average, multi-year droughts in the northwest, and extreme flooding causing severe losses and damages. African countries are seeing their climate-related costs rise alarmingly.
On average, African countries are losing between 2 and 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with some diverting up to 9% of their budgets to address climate extremes. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the cost of adaptation is estimated to be between 30 and 50 billion dollars annually over the next decade, representing 2 to 3% of the region’s GDP, according to the « State of Climate in Africa 2023 » report.
By 2030, up to 118 million extremely poor people (living on less than 1.90 USD per day) will be exposed to drought, flooding, and extreme heat in Africa if adequate response measures are not implemented. This will add further constraints to poverty reduction efforts and significantly hinder growth, according to the figures cited in the report.
African countries need to prioritize increased investment in national meteorological and hydrological services and accelerate the implementation of the “Early Warning for All” initiative to protect lives and economies. This will help mitigate risks, strengthen adaptation capacities, improve resilience at all levels, and guide sustainable development strategies.
“In the past 60 years, Africa has observed a warming trend faster than the global average,” says Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the WMO. “In 2023, the continent experienced deadly heatwaves, heavy rainfall, flooding, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts.”
She added, “While many countries in the Horn of Africa, the south, and northwest Africa continued to suffer from exceptional multi-year droughts, others experienced extreme precipitation events in 2023, leading to flooding with significant consequences. These extreme events have had devastating impacts on communities, with severe economic implications.”
The report also highlights that climate impacts continue into 2024, with devastating droughts in parts of Southern Africa and exceptional rains causing death and devastation in East Africa, recently in Sudan and South Sudan. This exacerbates an already desperate humanitarian crisis.
“The State of Climate in Africa 2023 report highlights the urgent need to invest in meteorological services and early warning systems to help adapt to climate change and strengthen resilience in Africa,” emphasizes Joséfa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission.
An ambitious Early Warning for All plan in Africa, launched in September 2023, aims to ensure that all people in Africa have access to timely information about natural hazards and impending disasters.
