By Abdullahi Lukman
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stern warning about the devastating impact of climate change on Africa’s socio-economic development, with extreme weather events deepening hunger, insecurity, and displacement across the continent.
In a statement released on Monday, May 12, 2025, the WMO highlighted how climate-related disasters are eroding the livelihoods and cultural traditions of African communities.
The WMO pointed to the recent catastrophic floods in South Sudan, which wiped out livestock — vital to the herders’ livelihoods — underscoring the broader implications of climate change.
The agency stressed that climate change is increasingly undermining the social and economic fabric of many African countries.
Additionally, the WMO reported that marine heatwaves, resulting from record sea surface temperatures, have affected nearly all ocean areas around Africa.
In 2023, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea experienced strong to extreme heatwaves, further intensifying the continent’s challenges.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo called climate change an escalating crisis for Africa, noting that while some regions face extreme floods, others grapple with persistent droughts and water shortages.
In 2023 alone, floods, heatwaves, and droughts displaced approximately 700,000 people across Africa, with significant loss of life and livelihoods in countries like Nigeria, which experienced massive floods in Maiduguri, and West African nations that saw over four million people affected.
Southern African countries, including Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, suffered their worst droughts in decades, severely impacting food security.
The WMO also pointed to the role of El Niño in exacerbating rainfall patterns, worsening existing crises in many regions.
The WMO also flagged heatwaves as an emerging public health threat.
In South Sudan, soaring temperatures led to school closures in 2024, and globally, extreme weather events caused at least 242 million students to miss school, many from sub-Saharan Africa.
Rising temperatures are further aggravating water scarcity and food insecurity, particularly in North Africa.
In South Sudan, last year’s floods left 300,000 people affected and decimated between 30 to 34 million livestock, leading to a dire humanitarian crisis.
WMO officials warned that infrastructure gaps, including impassable roads, are further complicating relief efforts, forcing agencies like the World Food Programme (WFP) to rely on costly airlifts to deliver aid.
Experts urge that Africa must invest in local adaptation measures, such as early warning systems, rather than relying on large-scale solutions like desalination, which carry significant economic and environmental risks.
Dr. Dawit Solomon of the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) cautioned that Africa, already burdened by the financial toll of climate change, cannot afford such high-risk approaches.
The WMO’s statement highlights the urgent need for comprehensive climate action and sustainable adaptation strategies to protect Africa’s vulnerable populations from the growing impacts of climate change.
