WMO estimates on the cost of the climate change for Africa
Africa is already paying, and will increasingly pay, a “disproportionate” price for the climate crisis. Extreme events like floods and droughts and the need to adapt to a changing climate in the coming decades consume a significant portion of often limited national budgets. For African countries, the cost of climate change is therefore much higher in proportion to their economies.
The Cost of Climate Change for Africa
The African continent is already losing an average of 2-5% of its GDP annually due to extreme weather events. Some countries spend up to 9% of their annual budgets to address these crises. Without adaptation efforts, which could cost Sub-Saharan Africa $30-50 billion annually over the next decade (2-3% of regional GDP), the cost of climate change is set to rise further. These figures come from the latest report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on the climate in Africa in 2023.
WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, noted that “over the last 60 years, Africa has experienced a warming trend that has accelerated faster than the global average. In 2023, the continent endured deadly heatwaves, intense rainfall, flooding, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts”. This year ranks among the three hottest in Africa since records began 124 years ago. The rate of global warming in Africa over the past 30 years has been slightly higher than in other regions, with an average increase of 0.3°C per decade. North Africa, in particular, has seen this rate double, from +0.2°C per decade (1961-1990) to +0.4°C per decade (1991-2023).
To mitigate the effects of the climate crisis, the WMO emphasizes the development of a continent-wide early warning system as a top priority, alongside increased investment in national meteorological services. This approach will help reduce risks, build adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience at various levels, and guide sustainable development strategies.