Climate Facts: Extreme weather patterns responsible for $8.5bn economic loss in Africa, says UN
What was once a community in the Zakkari Desert is now entirely covered in encroaching sands due to the extreme desertification in Yobe state. The trees on the horizon are the legendary acacia trees which hold potential to resist the desert encroachment and absorb nitrogen Ð which is among the harmful gasses contributing to climate change.
Photo by Murtala Abdullahi
BY Janefrances Chibundu
August 21, 2024 10:42 AM
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The complexities of climate change and its associated jargon can prove difficult to digest. TheCable’s quick climate facts will help demystify these concepts through easy-to-understand and straight-to-the-point explanations.
Here are some to keep at the tip of your fingers:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says adequate heat action plans — early warning and response systems are effective adaptation options for extreme heat.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the global scale-up of heat health-warning systems for 57 countries can save about 98,314 lives annually.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says about 52 percent of African countries have been impacted by climate change, with more than 110 million persons directly affected by climate, weather, and water-related hazards, resulting in an estimated $8.5 billion in economic losses in 2022.