Without critical scientific information and effective warning systems, Africans will continue to be affected by deadly heat waves, writes bberwyn. CoveringClimateNow
, an international climate impacts think tank. The information gap has led to a “widening dichotomy between climate impacts that are experienced on the ground and climate impacts that are recorded and then ultimately make it into the scientific literature,” she said.
, illustrated the problem. “We lack that type of detailed information that is provided for hurricanes that hit the US,” Thomas said. “Notably, we lack the detailed and critical storm surge estimates that are provided in advance of a hurricane. While NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] provides this information for the US, we lack the capacity to produce this information in a timely manner to inform people before a storm hits.
“Comprehensive assessment of the total loss and damage that include the actual long-term costs of these storms, including intangible impacts such as loss of sense of place, psychosocial effects and loss of community are rarely, if ever, compiled and published,” Thomas said. “This means that we do not have an accurate understanding of the extent of destruction that these storms are causing.”Otto said that researchers need to change the way climate science is done and who is doing it.
Successful pilot projects are under way in Ghana and The Gambia, where collaborations between local researchers, hospitals and epidemiologists are helping to identify the direct health impacts of extreme heat, Otto noted. That information can be combined with data on heat-related power outages and transport disruptions to further improve heatwave identification in sub-Saharan Africa.
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