A recent study revealed that human-caused global warming was responsible for making the West African heatwave in February 4 degrees Celsius hotter and 10 times more probable.
The heat had a significant impact on a large number of individuals, but the exact figures for fatalities or illnesses cannot be determined due to insufficient reporting.
The area is responsible for sending out the highest quantity of cocoa globally. According to farmers, the warmth has depleted their trees’ health, which were previously harmed by excessive rainfall in December. The cost of cocoa, a crucial element in making chocolate, has increased drastically in recent times due to the effects of climate change on the harvest, and the current heatwave only adds to the strain.
The research, conducted by a team of experts from the World Weather Attribution, revealed that the heatwave would have occurred rarely, about every 100 years, if global climate change did not exist. However, due to the effects of climate change, it became a recurrent event, happening once every 10 years and resulting in an average global temperature increase of 1.2C over the past four years.
According to scientists, if we do not quickly decrease the emissions from burning fossil fuels and the Earth’s temperature increases by 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, heatwaves will happen every other year.
The most extreme heat wave took place from February 11th to 15th, with temperatures reaching over 104F and averaging at 96.8F. The high humidity levels added to the difficulty in cooling down through sweating. The heat index, a measurement that combines temperature and humidity to indicate how hot it feels, reached 122F. Izidine Pinto, from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, warned that this level of heat can be very harmful to the human body.
According to Wasiu Adeniyi Ibrahim, a member of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the heatwave in February occurred earlier than expected, catching many people off guard due to their lack of acclimation to the hot temperatures. As global warming continues to increase, the intensity of heatwaves such as this one will only worsen.
In February, the world experienced its warmest month on record, continuing a nine-month streak of breaking records. The increase in carbon emissions and the reappearance of El Niño have contributed to these high temperatures.
The meteorological agencies of Nigeria and Ghana gave early alerts about the high temperatures, however, several other countries experiencing the effects did not make preparations for potentially hazardous heat.
“According to Maja Vahlberg from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, high temperatures pose a significant threat as they can silently take lives. The elderly, those with underlying health issues, and outdoor workers are especially at risk. Additionally, with almost half of the west African population residing in temporary housing, millions of individuals are highly susceptible to the impacts of extreme heat.”
In February, farmers in Ivory Coast expressed concern about the negative impact of high temperatures and drought on their crops. According to Reuters, major cocoa plants in Ivory Coast and Ghana were forced to decrease or halt production in March due to financial constraints from purchasing beans. The cost of cocoa beans has surged to an all-time high of over $8,000 per ton, showing a more than threefold increase from March of last year.
Pinto stated that the heat likely had an effect, causing increased evaporation and leaving the crops lacking moisture in the soil.
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Reworded: Amber Sawyer, a representative from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit in the United Kingdom, stated that farmers in West Africa who cultivate the key ingredient for many of our beloved Easter eggs are facing challenges due to intense heat and precipitation. Developed countries, such as the UK, have the ability to offer assistance to developing nations, but it is crucial that we also achieve net zero emissions. There exists limitations on the environments suitable for crop growth.
According to the UN, developing countries will need to spend between $215bn and $387bn for adaptation to the climate crisis. However, in 2021, the global community only provided $21bn.
The period of intense heat coincided with the Africa Cup of Nations, which was being held in Ivory Coast. In order to safeguard the players’ well-being, extra cooling breaks were given during the games.
The WWA report utilized weather data and climate models to contrast the frequency and strength of the current heatwave with that of a world unaffected by global warming, following a widely-accepted methodology used in numerous previous studies.
The area analyzed was located in the southern part of West Africa, where the temperature was exceptionally high. This included countries such as Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Source: theguardian.com
