Dismantling South-North power dynamics to create new climate knowledge
Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change recently, Katharine Vincent and fellow researchers say that climate services which aim to provide accessible and useful weather and climate information for decision making in sub-Saharan Africa need to be done collaboratively and in a way that brings users of climate information into the knowledge-generation process. Read more.
 New insights into how climate change affects lightning over Africa from unique high-resolution simulations
Lightning is a serious hazard in many parts of Africa, which is one of the main global hotspots of lightning activity. As well as the risk to people and infrastructure, lightning is a natural cause of wildfires. It also affects key features of atmospheric chemistry such as ozone production in the upper troposphere. As with many weather phenomena, lightning is likely to respond to climate change, with past studies generally suggesting that there will be an increase in lightning. Read more.
The “East African climate paradox”: A common mechanism for inter‐annual and decadal variability in the East African long rains
East Africa has two rainfall seasons, the main season, the long rains, runs from March to May. There is currently little understanding of what controls the amount of rainfall during this season. Recent drying, causing many areas to suffer from droughts and food shortages, contrasts with the projections from most climate models of a wetter future (the “East African climate paradox”). Read more.
 Multi-pronged response to boost climate-resilience for Senegalese farmers
Agriculture is the backbone of rural economies in Senegal, and yet warming temperatures and increasing drought pressure linked with rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are reducing crop yields in the West African country. The solution to supporting farmers to be more climate-resilient extends beyond just changing their agricultural practices in response to shifting climatic conditions, according to new research from the region. It will also call for institutional responses that apply to the markets where farmers sell their produce, and policies relating to agriculture. Read more.
 As the world’s temperatures rise, Lake Victoria killer storms expected to intensify
Lake Victoria bordering Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, is the largest Lake in Africa and the Nile's primary source. However, deadly, intense thunderstorms build upon the Lake at night as fishers go fishing. The International Red Cross estimates that between 3,000 and 5,000 fishers lose their lives in Lake Victoria's violent storms every year. How will climate change impact these storms? Read more and listen to the Africa Climate Conversations podcast on the topic here.
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