Early Warning Systems
The adoption and implementation of the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) in Africa are lower than in any other region, with only 4/10 people covered (State of Climate in Africa Highlights Water Stress and Hazards, 2022). Therefore, more data must be collected for essential hydro-meteorological variables to ensure efficient early warning systems to help save lives.
Climate services
Reports have revealed that only 28 countries provide essential and fundamental climate services, with only 9 providing those services at full scale. It has also been shown that only four of these countries are providing end-to-end drought forecasting or warning services at a whole/advanced capacity level (State of Climate in Africa Highlights Water Stress and Hazards, 2022). This observation shows a need for expedited improvement of climate service provision in Africa.
Following the 2013 conference, Africa's Agenda 2063 was formulated with climate change as the foremost priority. Since 2015, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement have stood out as the main instrument for guiding policy responses to climate change. Fifty-two African nations have given out their first and revised NDCs. Against the backdrop of having the world's least developed land-based observation network, Africa has tightened its belt in driving the global climate agenda, with more than 90% of the African countries ratifying the agenda (State of Climate in Africa Highlights Water Stress and Hazards, 2022). The countries are committed to transitioning to clean energy and agriculture, as shown in 70% of the African NDCs.
Given that Agriculture employs more than 60% of Africa's population, promoting socioeconomic growth in this sector through the value of other technologies that utilize efficient and clean energy sources can reduce poverty 2-4 times faster than growth in any other sector (Climate Change Is an Increasing Threat to Africa | UNFCCC, n.d.). For instance, solar-powered and efficient irrigation is growing the agro-based revenue streams by 5-10 times with a yield of up to 300% and cutting down water use by up to 90%. The move also reduces carbon emissions by generating about 250 kW of clean green energy (Climate Change Is an Increasing Threat to Africa | UNFCCC, n.d.).
Water stress and how it is being managed
There is growing demand for potable water due to the increasing population at about 2.8% annually on the African continent (Global Warming, 2018). The situation has been made worse by the increasing frequency of drought and heat events. Currently, 418 million people lack access to potable water, with 779 million lacking essential sanitation services. Only 27 countries out of 51 have data on water resource management, and all have inadequate capacity to execute Integrated Water Resource Management even though activities are reported to have been undertaken on an ad hoc basis with unsustainable financing (State of Climate in Africa Highlights Water Stress and Hazards, 2022).
The 2003 heat wave in Europe killed more than 35,000 people in two weeks, many occurring in France. The region initiated rapid response initiatives that have helped to avoid such a high number of casualties (Heatwaves - Breaking Records in 2019 | Royal Meteorological Society, n.d.). Therefore, there is a need to empower the health sectors by developing heat wave action plans comprising preparedness and response to the threat to help prevent and reduce illnesses, fatalities, and social disruptions caused by heat waves. This way, the vulnerable population could be identified with the rollout of the creation of cooling centers during extreme heat and the adoption of workplace heat stress standards.
Early Warnings
With over 11,778 reported climate-related disasters for the period 1970-2021, over 2 million deaths, and US$ 4,3trillionin economic losses, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has underscored the need for everyone to be protected by an early warning system by the end of 2027 (World Meteorological Congress Opens Quadrennial Session, 2023). It is worrying that 90% of the deaths reported globally occurred in developing countries. The meteorological services should be strengthened to project and predict effectively to enhance interdisciplinary coordination and response to these climate-related crises. Early Warning Systems are effective and feasible in addressing climate-related issues, given that improved early warning and coordinated disaster management activities have reduced the human casualty toll over the last 50 years. Reports have shown that more than 96 countries globally have installed early warning systems, covering low Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Africa.
Implementation of the Early Warning for All initiative is being promoted by the WMO AND United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the International Telecommunications Union. The initiative banks on the fact that ¾ people have a mobile phone globally hence actualizing the Common Alerting Protocol is possible through sending comprehensible text messages consistently. The initiative aims to work with communities to salvage the 200 million people expected to be affected yearly by weather and climate-related disasters.
Ministerial commitment
Mozambique has been mobilizing funds to empower its meteorological network according to its commitment to set up a station in every district. A newer radar will be installed by 2027, and a new unit for flood and drought management is already underway to help forecast and map hydrological risks. So far, the investment has been a success given that from 630 deaths and economic loss of US$ 3 billion caused by the Idai Cyclone in 2019, the statistics have reduced to less than 100 deaths and US$ 176 million in economic losses.
According to the World Meteorological Congress Opens Quadrennial Session (2023), developed countries have committed to helping developing countries build a stronger and more resilient team to help address the climate change crises. This initiative has been seen with the Green Climate Fund, which has invested US$ 12 billion into more than 216 projects, with more than half of the funds directed towards the Least Developed Countries, SIDS, and African States (World Meteorological Congress Opens Quadrennial Session, 2023). The study also revealed that Climate Risk and Early Warning System (CREWS) had invested US$ 650 million with additional eight early warning projects that had targeted the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board meeting in 2023, where 24 countries will receive US$ 203 million.
(Climate Change Made Heatwaves in India and Pakistan ‘30 Times More Likely’, 2022)
The Indian Government has rolled out a framework to help with heat action plans, as shown in the figure above, where the fatalities from heat waves have been declining in the recent past. The action plans help forecast and adequately prepare for heat waves and other disasters. Pakistan has also followed suit with the Heat Action Plan in Karachi, among other parts of the country. Installation of cool and green roofs and cool pavements to lower the urban heat island effect. There are also proposals to plant trees to provide shade and control the air through evapotranspiration. The citizens are also encouraged to obey the energy efficiency protocols to lower the demand on the electricity grid during the heat waves.
References
Climate Change Is an Increasing Threat to Africa | UNFCCC. (n.d.). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://unfccc.int/news/climate-change-is-an-increasing-threat-to-africa
Climate change made heatwaves in India and Pakistan '30 times more likely. (2022, 29 April). https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/climate-change-made-heatwaves-india-and-pakistan-30-times-more-likely
Global warming: Severe consequences for Africa. (2018, 7 December). Africa Renewal. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2018-march-2019/global-warming-severe-consequences-africa
Heatwaves—Breaking Records in 2019 | Royal Meteorological Society. (n.d.). Retrieved 28 May 2023, from https://www.rmets.org/metmatters/heatwaves-breaking-records-2019
The state of Climate in Africa highlights water stress and hazards. (2022, 5 September). https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/state-of-climate-africa-highlights-water-stress-and-hazards
World Meteorological Congress opens the quadrennial session. (2023, 22 May). https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/world-meteorological-congress-opens-quadrennial-session