A recent study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group has found that the devastating heatwave that struck Africa’s Sahel region in early April was directly linked to human-induced climate change.
Published on Thursday, the study highlights the role of global warming in exacerbating extreme weather events.
During the period from April 1 to April 5, Mali and Burkina Faso experienced an unprecedented heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 45 degrees Celsius.
The WWA’s analysis, based on observations and climate models, indicates that such intense heatwaves would have been impossible without the 1.2°C of global warming attributed to human activities.
According to the report, if not for human-induced climate change, the April heatwave would have been 1.4°C cooler. Furthermore, the study warns that such extreme events, which occurred once every 200 years, are likely to become more frequent and severe with continued warming.
Despite the population’s accustomedness to high temperatures, the prolonged and intense heatwave resulted in a significant rise in fatalities and hospitalizations in both countries.
However, due to limited data availability, the exact death toll remains uncertain, though it is suspected to be in the hundreds, if not thousands.
The Sahel region has been grappling with climate-related challenges for decades, including droughts since the 1970s and erratic rainfall patterns since the 1990s.
These environmental stressors, compounded by factors such as land development and resource scarcity, have not only disrupted livelihoods but also contributed to the proliferation of armed groups across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
