Recent reports from international scientists reveal that the heavy rains causing devastating floods in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan have been worsened by human-induced climate change. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) stated that this year’s seasonal downpours were 5-20% more intense due to global warming, with warnings that such extreme rainfall could become a regular occurrence if warming trends persist.
Izidine Pinto, a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, emphasized that heavy summer rainfall has become increasingly common in these regions, contributing to a crisis.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), this year’s floods have resulted in approximately 1,500 fatalities and displaced over 1 million people across West and Central Africa. The rainfall has overwhelmed dam systems in both Nigeria and Sudan, exacerbating the humanitarian situation.
Projections indicate that if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), similar severe rainfall could occur nearly every year in these affected areas by the 2050s. WWA has called for significant investments in early warning systems and upgrades to dam infrastructure to mitigate future impacts.
Joyce Kimutai, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, highlighted that Africa contributes only a small portion of global carbon emissions yet is disproportionately affected by extreme weather events. She urged that the upcoming COP29 climate talks in November must ensure that wealthier nations provide meaningful financial support to help address these pressing challenges.