Environmental, Nov. 11, 2020, 9:23 a.m.

Intensifying weather events threaten the most vulnerable in Africa

Author: riaan@wecanchange.co.za

Weather across sub-Saharan Africa has become more extreme and unpredictable in the twenty-first century because of climate change

Click here to urge African leaders to take action against climate change

Have you lived through a flood, forced to pack what little remains of your home to start afresh somewhere else? Do you know a friend or family member who lost their farm due to a drought? Maybe you woke up to a cyclone and you and your family were left destitute.

We both know that the recent extreme weather events across Africa are not normal. But what is an extreme weather event? There is no universally accepted definition of ‘extreme weather’, although an extreme weather event might be described as such by those who experience rare and unusual weather. That means the nature of ‘extreme’ is relative to what you may consider to be normal conditions.

A new Greenpeace report, ‘Weathering the Storm: Extreme Weather and Climate Change in Africa', explores the relationship between extreme weather events and climate change in Africa. As we’ve seen, climate-related problems can often be disproportionately felt in the poorest communities because they are least equipped to cope with and adjust to changes.

Here are some key findings from the report:

1. Future average temperatures in Africa are projected to increase at a rate faster than the global average in all warming scenarios

2. The mean annual temperature increase for much of Africa is projected to exceed 2℃ or to fall within the range of 3℃ to 6℃ by the end of the twenty-first century if high emissions continue. This would be two to four times beyond the rise permitted in the Paris Agreement.

3. The rising temperature is likely to lead to deaths, displacement, climate-related conflict, irregular rainfall, drinking water shortages, obstruction of agricultural production and accelerated extinction of endemic African species.

4. The frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events are expected to increase, following trends already observed in Southern, East and Northern Africa.

The science is clear - the increased carbon emissions from exploitative activities on our planet has scaled up climate change in a major way. The time to act is now and African leaders must declare a climate emergency to preserve our collective future.

cheryl we cannot afford to ignore the evidence we’re all witness to, nor waste any more time. Click the button below to take action for our climate!

Click here to urge African leaders to take action against climate change

Thanks for taking a stand,

Lerato Tsotetsi