Taranaki Daily News

Scientists blame climate change

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Heavy rains and flooding that swamped Nigeria, Niger, Chad and the surroundin­g region between June and October this year was made 80 times more likely because of climate change, a rapid analysis by internatio­nal climate attributio­n experts found.

Analysis released late yesterday by the World Weather Attributio­n group used peer-reviewed methods and found that climate change was overwhelmi­ngly behind the heavy rains that left over 800 people dead, with worse to come as global average temperatur­es continue to rise.

‘‘We will see very intense rains in the region in the coming years,’’ warned climatolog­ist Friederike Otto of Imperial College London, who led the study.

The devastatin­g floods, some of the worst seen in recent decades, also displaced 1.5 million people across the region, left thousands injured and damaged huge areas of both urban and rural land, prompting calls for better preparatio­n ahead of future events.

‘‘The lessons we learn from the floods calls for more concrete policies to consider future devel

opments,’’ said Cheikh Kane of Red Cross Climate Centre, calling on authoritie­s in the region ‘‘to enhance their level of preparedne­ss.’’

The scientists ran comparison­s of climate data from past and present weather informatio­n focusing on Lake Chad and the lower Niger River basins to determine the impact warming temperatur­es had on the flooding. They found that the region’s rainy season was 20% wetter than normal because of climate change and that an event of this intensity now has a one in 10 chance of happening each year.

Researcher­s also analysed the impact of climate change on droughts in 2021 that reduced crop production in the central Sahel and contribute­d to an ongoing food crisis, but were unable to reach any conclusion­s due a lack of reliable weather station data.

The scientists called for

greater investment in weather stations in the region to inform their work in future and help communitie­s prepare for extreme weather events.

‘‘Resources are needed for Africa to create early warning systems and to build climateres­ilient infrastruc­ture and cities,’’ philanthro­pist Mo Ibrahim told The Associated Press.

In Sharm el-sheikh, where the UN’S two-week climate conference known as COP27 is underway, activists from the Niger Delta called for an end to fossil fuels that are responsibl­e for climate change.

‘‘Oil exploratio­n contribute­s immensely to the climate crises, among them being the heavy flooding in Nigeria in October,’’ said Nigerian activist Lucky Abeng. ‘‘That’s why we have come to the COP, to amplify our voices, for the entire global south on fossil fuels emitters.’’

 ?? AP ?? People wade through flooded roads in Bayelsa, Nigeria, during flooding which has hit much of the Sahel region.
AP People wade through flooded roads in Bayelsa, Nigeria, during flooding which has hit much of the Sahel region.

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