State of the Climate in Africa 2023 | Report

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released its State of the Climate in Africa report this week. The report details that the continent is on the frontlines of the climate crisis and facing rising and disproportionate costs associated with it.

Key findings include:

• In Africa, 2023 was one of the three warmest years in the 124-year record, depending on the dataset used.
• Mean temperature was 0.61 °C higher than the 1991–2020 average and 1.28 °C higher than the 1961–1990 average.
• Between 1991 and 2023, the continent warmed at a slightly faster rate than the global average.
• Last year was the warmest year on record in many countries, including Mali, Morocco, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda.
• The rate of sea-level rise around Africa was close to or slightly higher than the global mean rate of 3.4 mm/year.
• The highest rate of sea-level rise, 4.1 mm/year, was observed in the Red Sea.
• Precipitation was notably higher than normal in Angola and coastal areas north of the Gulf of Guinea.
• The western part of North Africa, the Horn of Africa, portions of Southern Africa, and Madagascar saw rainfall deficit.
• Parts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced severe drought in 2023.
• Climate extremes are becoming more frequent and severe and are disproportionately affecting African economies and societies.
• On average, climate-related hazards cause African countries to lose 2 per cent – 5 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) annually.
• Many divert up to 9 per cent of their budgets to respond to climate extremes.
• In sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that climate adaptation will cost US$ 30 billion to US$ 50 billion per year over the next decade, 2 per cent –3 per cent of the regional GDP.
• Investing in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and early warnings and early actions is a priority for saving lives, promoting economic development, valuing development gains and livelihoods and reducing the cost of disaster responses.

For the full report, head here.