Browsing: Extreme heat in Africa

• Currently, East Africa is reeling from the effects of the worst drought on record; extreme heat is ravaging northern Africa while flash floods remain a constant threat.  
• This is despite the continent contributing the least to global warming and having the lowest carbon emissions on record.
• According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change impacts under all climate scenarios above 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

Over the past few years, the frequency and intensity of adverse effects of climate change in different African nations has been on the rise. Rising temperatures, floods, and droughts are as a result of climate change yet the continent contributes the least carbon emissions. 

However, resultant collateral damage is posing systemic risks to the continent’s economies. Infrastructure investments, water and food systems, public health, agriculture, and livelihoods are at risk, threatening to undo Africa’s modest development gains. Left unchecked, …