By 2030, up to 118 million of extreme people in Africa will be prone to drought, floods and extreme heat, if adequate response measures are not taken. This is stated in the report of the World Meteorological Organization (VMO) entitled “Climate condition in Africa 2023”.
According to the document, the continent carries an ever -increasing burden of climate change and disproportionately high expenses for the necessary adaptation.
The report says that on average, African countries lose 2-5% of the gross domestic product (GDP), and many send up to 9% of their budgets to combat extreme climatic phenomena.
It is noted that in the countries of Africa south of Sahara, the cost of adaptation is estimated at $ 30-50 billion a year over the next decade, or 2-3% of GDP.
In WMO, it is believed that African countries should give priority to increase investments in national meteorological and hydrological services and accelerate the implementation of the initiative “Early warnings for all” to save lives and livelihoods.
The Secretary General of VMO Celeste Saulo said that over the past 60 years in Africa there has been a tendency to warming, which has become faster than the average in the world. “In 2023, the continent survived the deadly heat waves, severe rains, floods, tropical cyclones and prolonged droughts,” she said.
Saulo, added that a similar picture was preserved in 2024, which exacerbates the humanitarian crisis.