The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the African Union Commission on Monday, September 2, 2024, jointly launched the 2023 State of the Climate in Africa report at the 12th Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA12) Conference.
The report presents a stark overview of the climate crisis facing the African continent and underscores the urgent need for increased investment in climate adaptation and resilience.
Central to the Report’s analysis is that African countries are facing an escalating climate change bill, with an average loss of 2-5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to climate extremes. In Africa, the cost of adaptation is estimated to be between $30-50 billion annually over the next decade, representing 2-3% of the region’s GDP.
“This report serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of climate action in Africa, where extreme weather events are intensifying and disproportionately impacting the continent’s social economic development,” said the Minister of Green Economy and Environment of Zambia, Mike Elton Mposha.
“Africa is uniquely vulnerable to climate change, with its high dependence on rain-fed agriculture and limited adaptive capacity. Rising temperatures, rising sea levels, and erratic rainfall are already causing widespread harm to human health, ecosystems, and livelihood. These challenges threaten to derail Africa’s big-bed progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals and the African Union agenda 2063,” stated Mposha.
“It is essential to continue advocating for increased investments in climate adaptation and resilience, particularly through the laws and dynamic priorities,” he added.
“The State of the Climate in Africa 2023 Report highlights the urgent need for action. Africa faces disproportionate burdens and risks from climate change, which threatens food security, public health, and socio-economic development across the continent,” said Ambassador Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission.
Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said, “Africa is on the front lines of fighting climate change and its impacts, from rising temperatures to shifting rainfall patterns, and other extreme weather events. Consequently, key sectors like the agricultural sector, which employs over 60% of Africa’s population, are under threat. Crops are failing and livestock is suffering as climate variability disrupts traditional farming practices, jeopardises food supply, and the economic stability of nations, which are already grappling with high poverty and levels.”
“At the same time, African countries face significant debt distress, forcing trade-offs with critical development needs such as health or education. We can only drive investments in climate action if we have financing, therefore, there is a need to achieve sustainable debt levels to make the essential investments,” added Ms. Morsy.
To this end, she explained, “There must be first, a timely and sustainable international debt resolution that calls for an overhaul of the G20 Common Framework to make it more effective, time-bound, and transparent, and second, a reform of the global financial architecture to ensure affordable financing at scale. Third, the implementation of innovative financing instruments such as debt-for-nature swaps, and green and blue bonds; and fourth, advancing carbon markets to establish a fair carbon price supported by high-integrity carbon registries to ensure transparency and trust. These are transformative avenues to address Africa’s climate finance requirements.”
The 2023 State of the Climate in Africa report is expected to serve as a vital tool for policymakers, providing the observational basis necessary to drive action and support decision-making in the face of an increasingly challenging climate future.
