Africa faces escalating climate costs as 2023 becomes hottest year on record
Africa is grappling with the severe effects of climate change, facing disproportionate economic burdens due to escalating costs for adaptation measures.
According to the "State of the Climate in Africa 2023" report, African nations are losing between 2-5% of their GDP annually, with some countries diverting up to 9% of their budgets to address climate-related impacts.
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In sub-Saharan Africa alone, the cost of adaptation is projected to range between US$ 30-50 billion per year over the next decade, representing 2-3% of the region's GDP.
The report, released at the 12th Climate Change for Development in Africa (CCDA) Conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, highlights the growing strain on poverty alleviation efforts and economic growth across the continent.
"Africa has observed a warming trend over the past 60 years that has become more rapid than the global average," said Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in a statement.
In 2023, Africa experienced a series of devastating climate events, including deadly heat waves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts.
While countries in the Horn of Africa, Southern Africa, and North-West Africa battled multi-year droughts, other regions were inundated with extreme precipitation, leading to catastrophic flooding. These events resulted in significant loss of life, widespread displacement, and economic damage.
"This pattern of extreme weather has continued in 2024," Saulo added. "Parts of Southern Africa have been gripped by damaging drought, and exceptional seasonal rainfall has caused death and devastation in East African countries, most recently in Sudan and South Sudan, exacerbating an already desperate humanitarian crisis."
The report warns that by 2030, up to 118 million extremely poor people, living on less than $ 1.90 per day, could be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat if adequate response measures are not implemented.
This would place additional burdens on poverty alleviation efforts and severely hamper economic growth.
To mitigate these risks, the report calls for increased investment in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and the accelerated implementation of the "Early Warnings For All" initiative to save lives and livelihoods.
Strengthening these services will help build adaptive capacity, boost resilience at local, national, and regional levels, and guide sustainable development strategies.
The report was released in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the African Union (AU) Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the African Ministerial Conference for Meteorology. It provides a comprehensive overview of the extreme weather and climate change impacts across the entire region, from the Sahara to the Serengeti, and from coastal waters to mountain peaks.
