Climate change in Africa News

[WFP] Areas already affected by conflict and economic instability face climate shocks that risk pushing millions more people into acute food insecurity. WFP analysis projects that the current El Niño could push at least 49 million more people into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027. The phenomenon is expected to reach peak intensity between October and December 2026, while its impact on planting seasons, harvests and food prices could continue into early 2028.

[Vanguard] The COP31 climate talks kicked off Monday with an early fight over money as the UN's chief urged world leaders to "get serious" about tackling the crisis after a year of devastating weather extremes.

[Leadership] Weeks after floodwaters receded in Nasarawa State, displaced residents who have returned to their communities are now battling hunger, malaria and typhoid, as they drink polluted river water and sleep in makeshift shelters, with promised government relief yet to arrive.

[Leadership] Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, has called for stronger collaboration among governments, professional institutions and development partners to promote sustainable water management, climate resilience and evidence-based groundwater governance.

[allAfrica] As world leaders and critical stakeholders converge on Türkiye for the 31st UN climate summit, a difficult but necessary question hangs over the familiar ritual. The poser is: after more than three decades, is an annual COP still the best way to advance the global climate agenda?

[Daily Maverick] With COP32 headed to Addis Ababa, Africa's climate future depends on leaders who can structure finance, build coalitions and turn sustainability into jobs and resilience.

[Daily Trust] As world leaders gather today for the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Nigeria must ask an urgent question: what will this conference do to help feed our people, protect our farmers and pastoralists, and secure our agricultural future?

[Premium Times] The group said securing adequate and predictable climate finance, particularly grant-based and concessional funding, would be central to Africa's negotiating priorities at the conference

[ENA] Addis Ababa -- COP32 President-Designate Gedion Timothewos (PhD) has arrived in Antalya, Türkiye, to participate in the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31).

[UN News] The climate emergency is an immediate crisis for refugees, with three in four - nearly 90 million people - living in countries facing high to severe exposure to hazards such as drought, floods and extreme heat.

[The Conversation Africa] When a flood destroys a road, government officials can estimate the cost of rebuilding it. When drought ruins a harvest, lost income can be calculated. But how should a country record or measure the loss of a sacred place? Or the emotional strain that people experience when they are displaced from their homes by a climate-related disaster, the breakdown of community bonds, or a child's lost sense of safety?

[The Conversation Africa] Malaria control and elimination efforts across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are at a critical point. Over the past two years, case numbers have increased in the region. Several countries have reported reversals in hard-earned gains. People living in malaria-prone areas are at a higher risk than before.

[RFI] Farmer Dudzai Matsapa works under a scorching sun, digging small, shallow pits across his field in Nyanga, east of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare. He will later fill these potholes with organic manure and wait for the rainy season. This is all part of Matsapa's preparation for the anticipated El Nino, which is expected to trigger drought and extreme heat across southern Africa.

[Bird Story Agency] As Africa weighs how to power its industries and expand electricity access, water must be part of the equation. Ahead of COP31, Dr Jonty Cogger and Paul Wani Lado draw on South Africa's experience to argue that a just energy transition must test proposed fossil fuel investments against their water demands--and protect the communities whose supplies could come under pressure.

[Nile Post] Vice President Jessica Alupo has warned that worsening climate change could undermine Uganda's economic growth and development ambitions, as prolonged droughts, devastating floods and unpredictable rainfall increasingly threaten agriculture, natural resources and vulnerable communities.

[263Chat] Smallholder farmers across Zimbabwe have called on policymakers to strengthen climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, warning that changing weather patterns, land degradation and human-wildlife conflicts are increasingly threatening their livelihoods.

[IPS] Nairobi -- As the world prepares for the 31st United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Kenya's priorities for the negotiations are being shaped by lived experiences of communities who are on the frontline of the climate crisis.

[New Times] A crucial round of funding negotiations is underway in Kigali, with countries seeking to secure the resources needed to sustain global efforts to protect the ozone layer and curb emissions from powerful climate-warming gases.

[New Times] Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva has called for greater investment in sustainable cooling technologies, urging countries to move beyond commitments and deliver tangible results as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol marks its 10th anniversary.

[Botswana Daily News] Kanye -- Abrupt veldt fires have been described as the second and potentially most devastating threat linked to El Niño after drought and crop failure.