Human-induced climate change, driven by fossil fuel use, has intensified seasonal downpours in the Niger and Lake Chad basins by 5–20% this year, according to the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network. The worsening rainfall has triggered devastating floods, killing about 1,500 people and displacing over a million across West and Central Africa, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.
Izidine Pinto, a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, warned that heavy summer rains are now the “new normal” in countries such as Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. “With every fraction of a degree of warming, the risk of extreme floods increases,” Pinto said, urging global leaders to accelerate fossil fuel reduction at the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.
WWA researchers emphasized that if global temperatures rise to 2°C above pre-industrial levels—projected by the 2050s—severe downpours could become an annual occurrence. In Sudan, where conflict has displaced millions into flood-prone areas, climate change has amplified monthlong rainfall, the study revealed.
“Africa, though responsible for minimal global emissions, is bearing the brunt of climate change,” said Joyce Kimutai from Imperial College London. Scientists also highlighted the role of poor infrastructure and called for urgent investments in dam maintenance and early warning systems to mitigate future disasters.
“This crisis will only worsen if we continue burning fossil fuels,” warned Clair Barnes, urging immediate global action to curb emissions.
