EBN- Researchers believe that human-induced climate change is to blame for the hundreds of deaths caused by recent extreme heatwaves in West Africa, the Sahel, and Mali.
With temperatures in Mali surpassing 48°C last month, the Gabriel Toure Hospital reported 102 deaths in the first part of April, with older people being disproportionately affected. Scientists contend that temperatures would not have risen to such dangerous heights in the absence of human activities like the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.
According to a study by the World Weather Attribution group, Mali and Burkina Faso experienced 1.5°C higher temperatures than usual, with nights generally being 2°C hotter due to climate change. They caution that if global temperatures continue to rise, these heatwaves, which were previously uncommon, may become more frequent.
But El Niño weather phenomenon is more to blame for the severe drought that ravaged Southern Africa earlier this year than climate change.
While millions faced hunger due to crop failures and water shortages leading to cholera outbreaks, researchers suggest that El Niño, not climate change, primarily influenced the low rainfall across the region from December to February.
These findings highlight the complex relationship between climate change and extreme weather events, with scientists emphasizing the need for urgent action to mitigate their impact.
