Tropical cyclones have been a part of human history for a long time, with over 1,000 occurring worldwide since the deadliest recorded cyclone, The Great Gale, in 1878. Cyclones are large air masses that rotate around a center of low atmospheric pressure, and the practice of naming them began to increase disaster risk awareness, preparedness, management, and reduction.
This article focuses on Cyclone Freddy, which exposed Africa's vulnerability to the climate crisis due to weak disaster risk preparedness, poor climate crisis management systems, and low adaptive capacity. In February 2023, Freddy started as a disturbance and intensified into a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone in the Australian region cyclone basin before crossing the South West Indian Ocean basin and intensifying even further. It made two landfalls in Madagascar and Mozambique before circling back to the coast of Mozambique and moving to Malawi. The World Meteorological Organization found that Freddy had seven cycles of rapid intensification.
Cyclone intensification is related to high sea surface temperature (SST) or ocean surface temperature (OST), which has been steadily rising since the 20th century due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel consumption. Rising SST and OST cause water expansion and melting glaciers and ice sheets, increasing sea levels, and leading to greater coastal erosion, which strips the coast of natural protection consisting of sediment and wetlands. This contributes to the increase in intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as cyclones, hurricanes, and storm surges.
Despite Africa contributing only 3% to global CO2 emissions, the continent is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its weak adaptive capacity, dependence on ecosystem goods for livelihoods, and less developed agricultural production systems. Climate models predict that both ends of Africa's weather extremes will become more severe in the next 80 years, and recent extreme weather events such as Cyclone Freddy are just a preview of what's to come. Freddy caused 3,452 total casualties across five African countries, with Malawi recording the highest number of casualties.
Startups in Africa can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts through innovative solutions such as renewable energy technologies, sustainable agriculture practices, and climate-resilient infrastructure. These solutions can create new business opportunities while also addressing climate change challenges. Startups can also leverage climate finance opportunities to access funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation projects, which can help build resilience to climate change impacts. Find out more here https://arinitiative.org/
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