‘Human-Induced’ Climate Change Behind Deadly Sahel Heatwave: Study

AFP/APP

Dakar: The deadly heatwave that hit Africa’s Sahel region in early April would not have occurred without human-induced climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group published Thursday.

The West African nations of Mali and Burkina Faso experienced an exceptional heatwave from April 1 until April 5, with soaring temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) triggering many deaths.

Observations and climate models used by researchers at the WWA showed that “heatwaves with the magnitude observed in March and April 2024 in the region would have been impossible to occur without the global warming of 1.2C to date”, which scientists attribute to human-induced climate change.

While periods of high temperatures are common in the Sahel at this time of year, the report said that the April heatwave would have been 1.4C cooler “if humans had not warmed the planet by burning fossil fuels”.

It added that the five days of extreme heat was a once-in-a-200-year event, but that “these trends will continue with future warming”.

The length and severity of the extreme heat led to an increase in the number of deaths and hospitalisations in the two countries, despite their populations being acclimated to high temperatures, the WWA said.