Dakar:
The deadly heat wave that hit Africa's Sahel region in early April would not have happened without human-induced climate change, according to a study published on Thursday by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group.
The West African countries of Mali and Burkina Faso experienced an exceptional heat wave from April 1 to 5, with temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius causing a large number of deaths.
Observations and climate models used by WWA researchers showed that “heat waves of the magnitude observed in the region in March and April 2024 would have been impossible without global warming of 1.2 degrees Celsius to date ,” which they linked to “human climate change.” caused climate change”.
While periods of high temperatures are common in the Sahel at this time of year, the report states that April's heatwave would have been 1.4 degrees cooler “if humans had not warmed the planet by burning fossil fuels.”
It added that the five days of extreme heat were a once-in-200-year event, but that “these trends will continue with future warming.”
The duration and severity of the extreme heat led to an increase in deaths and hospitalizations in the two countries, despite their populations acclimating to high temperatures, the WWA said.
A lack of data in affected countries made it impossible to know the exact number of deaths, the WWA said, adding that there were likely hundreds, if not thousands, of other heat-related victims.
Countries in the Sahel region have experienced droughts since the 1970s and periods of heavy rainfall since the 1990s.
The declining availability of water and pasture, exacerbated by the development of agricultural land, has disrupted the lives of pastoral populations and encouraged the rise of armed groups that have expanded their grip on large swaths of territory in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
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