Africa is being hit “disproportionately” by global warming, warns the UN – Libération

Africa “suffers disproportionately from climate change”This is the warning issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a branch of the United Nations, in its annual report published on Monday, September 2. Between 1991 and 2023, the continent warmed by +0.3°C per decade, or “a slightly faster pace than the world average”points out the report on the state of the climate in Africa in 2023. The Maghreb is particularly affected by this phenomenon, with a record of 50.4 °C recorded on August 11, 2023 in Agadir, Morocco.

The acceleration of global warming is also manifested by episodes of extreme droughts. In 2023, «Zambia suffered the worst drought in forty years”making “about 6 million people” disaster victims, cites the World Meteorological Organization as an example.

Beyond a worrying rise in temperatures, the report highlights the increase in flooding observed on the continent. In September and October 2023, “About 300,000 people have been affected by floods in 10 countries, the worst affected being NigerBenin, Ghana and Nigeria»a few months after Libya and East Africa, adds the WMO. Sometimes deadly, these floods have been repeated this year.

These extreme situations of drought and flooding have the following consequences: “a major slowdown in food security”, The UN body points out. Some of these affected countries are forced to reallocate up to 9% of their budget to manage these natural disasters, which is added to an average loss of 2 to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) during these events. The effects of global warming are therefore leading to a slowdown in the growth of African countries.

Poverty and accelerated deaths

The World Meteorological Organization estimates that“In the absence of adequate measures, up to 118 million people are extremely poor [vivant avec moins de 1,90 dollar par jour] could be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat in Africa by 2030”. Phenomena which can have dramatic consequences: “Between 1970 and 2021, 35% of weather, climate and water-related deaths occurred in Africa.”

Yet, “Only 40% of the African population has access to early warning systems. This is the lowest proportion of any region in the world,” remember The World Meteorological Organization. The body therefore calls for investment in WMO meteorological services, particularly to improve data collection and forecasting capabilities, as well as in “early warning systems”which inform populations about imminent natural risks.