Lack of early warning systems ‘leave millions at risk’

A lack of extreme weather early warning systems means millions of lives are at risk in climate-vulnerable communities in the global South, climate scientists warn in a landmark report.

Billions of people are living in hotspots of high climate vulnerability in Africa, South Asia, Central and South America, and small island developing states, warns the latest adaptation assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

...Analysis released last week (25 February) by Power Shift Africa, a think tank led by founding director Mohamed Adow, found that governments in Africa are spending up to US$90 million a year on climate adaptation, despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, small island developing states lack access to data for climate modelling, the report says, which impedes their abilities to plan for and adapt to future extreme weather.

“This report shows that the rich world needs to radically increase adaptation support to those on the front lines of this emergency,” said Adow. “With 2022 seeing the UN climate summit COP27 taking place in Africa, this is the perfect year to address the adaptation crisis.”