Climate change in Africa News

[The Conversation Africa] Many African countries are already struggling with heavy debt burdens. Climate change is making this worse. Africa contributes the least to global emissions but suffers the most from extreme weather, rising temperatures and drought. These disasters affect not just people's livelihoods but also national revenues, making debt repayment harder. Yet traditional debt contracts don't account for this.

[IPS] The Hague -- Legal minds in international law are trying to interpret the scope and impact of the landmark advisory opinion on climate change by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where it said that states have a duty to prevent significant harm to the environment.

[Ethiopian Herald] Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched the Ethiopian Green Legacy Initiative, a major environmental campaign, in 2019. Its principal purpose is to reduce deforestation, restore degraded land, and address the negative impacts of climate change across the country and beyond.

[Ethiopian Herald] ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia has called for stronger regional cooperation to combat food insecurity and promote sustainable food systems across Africa, using the platform of the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4) to highlight its own national initiatives and leadership.

[allAfrica]

[Shabelle] Hargeisa, July 30 -- Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro on Tuesday appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance as a severe drought continues to impact tens of thousands across the self-declared republic.

[DW] The flooding began in the Yola area of Adamawa state, displacing 5,560 people so far, according to authorities. At least 11 others remain missing.

[Vanguard] The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted rainy and thundery weather conditions across the country from Monday to Wednesday, warning of possible flash floods in some areas.

[The Conversation Africa] The International Court of Justice, the world's highest court, handed down an advisory opinion on 23 July 2025 stating that climate change "imperils all forms of life". This followed a case brought by Vanuatu, a tiny South Pacific island nation threatened by rising sea levels, supported by 131 other countries - the biggest case the court had ever heard. The opinion sets out what all governments need to do to limit greenhouse gas emissions and prevent further global warming. Climate law specialist Zunaida

[IPS] Srinagar, India & Kinshasa, DRC -- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) stands on the precipice of a profound environmental and social crisis, as the government prepares to auction 55 new oil blocks that cover more than half the country's landmass.

[Dabanga] Port Sudan -- At least three people have died, and more than 50 cases of sunstroke have been recorded in Port Sudan over recent days, as a severe heatwave and ongoing power outages push health services and residents to the brink. Medical professionals and civil society leaders are raising urgent concerns about the worsening situation, particularly as local hospitals report being overstretched and under-resourced.

[The Point] Climate change has become a global issue and affects various regions at different levels. The hydro-climatic conditions and the natural fragility of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) make it prone to floods. The review was intended to comprehensively explore the determinants of floods in the continent and their effects on public health.

[allAfrica] As global leaders confer in Zimbabwe for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15), they have an opportunity to strengthen both food security and environmental resilience. Wetlands--the ecosystems that underpin global food production - provide countless benefits to society. Yet they are disappearing at an accelerating pace.

[The Conversation Africa] Climatic shocks and environmental changes are increasingly recognised as one of the greatest threats to human health of the 21st century. Extreme weather, such as heatwaves, tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, floods, wildfires and droughts, can trigger mental and physical ill-health. Individuals living in poor settings and rural areas are likely to be worst hit by these climatic shocks, given that many experience limited access to water, food and healthcare.

[The Conversation Africa] Across most of Africa, rural communities grow their own food, relying on smallholder agriculture. But climate change is threatening this way of life.

[Deep Sea Conservation Coalition] "We are rushing to prepare regulations atop a foundation of scientific uncertainty, in direct contradiction of our obligation under Article 145 of UNCLOS to protect the marine environment. This is not urgency born of science, but acceleration shaped by external pressure. We must be guided by principle, and not by artificial deadlines." President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau at the July 2025 ISA Assembly

[Scrolla] Johannesburg will drop to 0°C on Friday, with Pretoria only slightly warmer at 2°C, making this one of the coldest times of the year. Emergency teams warn people to use heaters, paraffin stoves and candles safely to avoid deadly house fires during the freezing weather.

[UN News] In a world increasingly shaped by climate extremes, environmental experts are delivering a blunt warning: four rapidly emerging threats could reshape life for millions unless urgent action is taken.

[Daily Trust] A torrential downpour between Monday night and early Tuesday morning has wreaked havoc across Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, leaving behind a trail of destruction. The storm, accompanied by fierce winds and flash floods, destroyed residential areas, bush bars, rustic restaurants, and farmlands.

[WFP] Windhoek -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with partner organisations, has successfully wrapped up a critical a nine-month emergency response in support of the Government of Namibia's Emergency Drought Response Plan to the El Niño-induced drought. With a contribution of US$3 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (UN-CERF), WFP supported the government in delivering life-saving food and nutrition assistance to over 63,000 vulnerable people across Kavango East,