How to reduce Africa’s undue exposure to climate risks

Asaf Tzachor, Catherine E. Richards, Masilin Gudoshava, Patricia Nying’uro, Herbert Misiani, Jemimah G. Ongoma, Yoav Yair, Yacob Mulugetta, Amadou T. Gaye

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debate

Abstract

Africa is disproportionately exposed to catastrophic climate, hydrological and meteorological risks. Well-funded weather monitoring, nowcasting and early-warning systems must become a priority. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)488-491
Number of pages4
JournalNature
Volume620
Issue number7974
DOIs
StatePublished - 17 Aug 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
All African national hydromet services should have access to basic, short-range numerical weather prediction models, such as EUMETSAT’s Nowcasting and Very Short-Range Forecasting software packages (called the Nowcasting Satellite Application Facility, NWC SAF). The £9-million (US$11-million) African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (SWIFT) project, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and led by the University of Leeds, UK, in partnership with the WMO, made a good start. From 2017 to 2022, a team of UK and African atmospheric scientists, social scientists and operational forecasters (including M.G., P.N., J.G.O. and A.T.G.) worked together to understand how best to utilize NWC SAF for users in Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. More work such as this is sorely needed.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, Springer Nature Limited.

Keywords

  • Atmospheric science
  • Climate change
  • Environmental sciences
  • Policy

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