Staff Writer
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders have called for continued monitoring of weather and climate risks, including the forecasted La Niña.
Member states were called to ramp up disaster preparedness efforts. The call came during the SADC summit, where the region’s vulnerability to climate change was highlighted.
Southern Africa has been grappling with the devastating impacts of climate change, with recurring droughts, floods, and extreme weather events wreaking havoc on communities and economies.
The recent El Niño-induced crisis, which resulted in widespread food shortages and displacement, underscored the region’s susceptibility to climate shocks.
The summit communique emphasized the importance of continuous weather and climate monitoring to anticipate and respond to emerging threats.
Member states were urged to develop robust contingency plans to mitigate the potential impacts of the upcoming La Niña event.
“Summit urged member states to continue monitoring weather and climate risks, including the forecasted La Niña event and develop contingency measures to mitigate the impact of disasters,” the communique issued after the summit read.
La Niña refers to the large-scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, coupled with changes in the tropical atmospheric circulation, namely winds, pressure and rainfall.
The effects of each La Niña event vary depending on the intensity, duration, time of year when it develops, and the interaction with other modes of climate variability. In many locations, especially in the tropics, La Niña produces the opposite climate impacts to El Niño.
To address the immediate humanitarian crisis triggered by El Niño, the summit reiterated the call for the implementation of the SADC Regional Humanitarian Appeal.
Launched in May, the appeal seeks to mobilise US$5.5 billion to support affected populations and recovery efforts.
As the region braces for another climate challenge, the summit’s decisions underscore the urgent need for coordinated action to build resilience and protect vulnerable communities.
