Climate change in Africa: N$160 bn lost
Lenin Ndebele - Africa suffered more than N$160 billion in economic damages due to climate change last year, while more than 110 million people on the continent were directly affected by weather, climate and water-related hazards.This was according to the State of the Climate in Africa 2022 report, which was released at the ongoing Climate Change Week in Nairobi, Kenya.
The report outlined that there were 5 000 deaths, of which 48% were related to drought, and 43% to flooding. The true toll, however, is likely to be much higher because of under-reporting.
"Heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones and prolonged droughts are having devastating impacts on communities and economies, with increasing numbers of people at risk," said the secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organisation, Professor Petteri Taalas.
‘Woefully inadequate’
"There are big gaps in weather observations in Africa, and early warning services are woefully inadequate. We are determined to close those gaps and ensure that life-saving early warnings reach everyone."
African economies and ways of life are based mostly on agriculture, which provides more than 55% of the workforce.
However, due to climate change, the continent's agricultural productivity has decreased by 34% since 1961.
This is the greatest decline, in comparison to other parts of the world.
By 2025, according to the report, it's anticipated that African nations' annual food imports will rise by a factor of three, from N$665 billion to N$2 trillion. – Fin24/AFP