Worsening Climate Disasters Hit Africa
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 --- (18-06-2026) --- The State of Africa Climate Report 2025, which highlights worsening climate-related disasters across the continent, has been launched with a warning that Africa is facing escalating climate risks that are already undermining development gains, urging accelerated climate adaptation efforts.
Zambia’s Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr. Patrick Kangwa, said through Luckson Kasanka, Permanent Secretary for Special Duties at Cabinet Office, that Africa is already experiencing rising temperatures, extreme weather events and shifting rainfall patterns that are threatening food security, water resources and economic development, a reality that demands urgent action.
He cited the 2023/2024 El Niño-induced drought in Southern Africa, which affected more than 60 million people and led six countries, including Zambia, to declare national disasters.
In Zambia, the drought affected 84 districts, destroyed nearly one million hectares of maize and left about 6.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
Mr. Kangwa said the crisis underscored the importance of climate forecasting and early warning systems, which helped governments, farmers and utilities prepare for the impacts.
He called for increased investment in meteorological services, stronger early warning systems and expanded climate financing to support adaptation.
He said the report should guide policy decisions, strengthen disaster preparedness and support efforts to build a climate-resilient Africa, stressing that Africa’s future must be defined by resilience, innovation, preparedness and leadership.
Harsen Nyambe Nyambe, Director for Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy at the African Union Commission, said climate change has shifted from a future risk to a present crisis affecting economies, ecosystems and livelihoods across the continent.
He noted that Africa, despite its low contribution to global emissions, remains highly vulnerable to droughts, floods, heatwaves and cyclones that are driving food insecurity, water stress and infrastructure damage.
Nyambe said climate shocks are costing Africa up to $100 billion annually, according to the African Development Bank, and continue to threaten progress under Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The report projects that crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa could decline by up to 20 percent by 2050, while more than 250 million people may face high water stress if current trends persist.
It further warns that extreme weather is increasing displacement, worsening health pressures and disproportionately affecting women and children in rural areas.
Developed with contributions from the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and other partners, the report calls for stronger national-level climate assessments and improved resilience planning. and improved resilience planning.
Nyambe urged increased investment in hydrometeorological systems, climate monitoring and capacity building, noting that initiatives such as , and are already supporting progress but require sustained funding.
He also acknowledged support from the European Union under the ClimSA programme, which has helped provide meteorological infrastructure and equipment across member states.
Nyambe reaffirmed the African Union Commission’s commitment to strengthening resilience and ensuring a coordinated African position in global climate negotiations.
Opening the forum, Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, said climate-related hazards affected at least 13 million people across Africa in 2025 alone.
She said drought affected more than 8.5 million people in East Africa, while flooding accounted for more than half of recorded extreme weather events, including deadly incidents in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The report shows that rising temperatures and extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and intensity across the continent.
It also records long-term environmental change, noting that Africa’s glaciers have lost more than 90 percent of their area since the late 19th century, including a sharp decline on Mount Kilimanjaro from 11.4 square kilometres in 1900 to less than one square kilometre today.
Sea levels along Africa’s coastlines have also risen above the global average between 1999 and 2025, heightening risks for coastal communities.
Prof. Saulo warned that fewer than 40 percent of African countries have adequate multi-hazard early warning systems, calling for urgent investment in forecasting services, observation networks and stronger coordination between meteorological and disaster management agencies.
“The science is clear. The tools exist. The challenge is implementation,” she said, urging governments and partners to translate climate data into action.
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