Climate Change

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) will set up a committee to examine whether Mitrabah, Kuwait, set a new highest temperature record for the Eastern hemisphere and Asia, with a reported temperature of 54.0°C (129.2°F) on 21 July 2016. Large parts of the Middle East and North Africa were gripped by heatwaves in recent weeks. Temperatures exceeding by a large margin ...

G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors held their third meeting on July 23-24 in Chengdu, and issued the final Communiqué before this year’s G20 Summit in Hangzhou, emphasising the development of green finance and welcoming voluntary options developed by the G20 Green Finance Study Group (GFSG). This year, green finance was incorporated for first time into the G20 agenda. ...

For a significant number of Americans, the reality, causes and meaning of global warming are interpreted through the lens of their religious beliefs. Some reject the evidence that humans are causing global warming because they believe God controls the climate. Others believe that global warming is evidence that the world will be ending soon, and that we don’t need to ...

Growing up in Ghana, I learned how harsh the harmattan can be. The dry, dusty wind from the Sahara sweeps across West Africa from November to March. It brings dust storms that damage airways, eyes and skin, and sudden cold spells that can jeopardise vulnerable people. Now climate change threatens to magnify its threat, as the harmattan becomes more severe ...

Use of mobile telephone technologies and community radio services has been cited as one of the best methods of sharing and disseminating climate information for effective early warning, and adaptation. Experts attending the sixth session of the Africa Water Week (AWW-6) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, have pointed out that early warning systems can be set up to avoid or reduce the ...

A new analysis on the post-2020 climate action plans of selected developing countries has been published, which gives climate change practitioners insights into the status of each country’s national climate strategy and can help them make strategic decisions about future activities related to the Paris Agreement. The Analysis of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) presents summaries of the INDCs submitted to the ...

Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Lt. General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of Botswana is expected to declare a Regional Disaster and launch a Regional Appeal for Humanitarian and Recovery Support amounting to $2.7 billion. This is in response to the devastating El-Niño-induced drought which has affected an estimated 40 million people across the SADC region ...

The Open-Ended Working Group of Parties will meet in Vienna, Austria, on 15 July 2016. On 22 and 23 July, nearly 40 ministers have committed to participate in the negotiations. Last year, Parties agreed to reach an agreement in 2016 on cutting down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are the fastest growing greenhouse gases in many countries. Used as replacements for ozone-depleting substances, HFCs are used in refrigeration, air conditioning, ...

Climate change is happening now. Globally, 14 of the 15 hottest years on record have occurred since 2,000. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in the United Kingdom, and urgent action is required to address climate-related risks, the CCC’s Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC) said on Tuesday. The ASC’s new independent report to Government, “UK Climate Change Risk Assessment ...

Issues supporting Akwa Ibom State’s transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, in the light of its vulnerability as a coastal state, are expected to be addressed at an international summit scheduled to hold next month in Uyo, the capital city. The first ever state-organised State Climate Change and Clean Energy Mega Summit/Expo will bring together international and national experts ...