The continent loses five percent of its gross domestic product every year due to the consequences of negative changes in the behavior of the climate, according to a recent report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), released today in this city, capital of Kenya.

WMO’s report coincides with the announcement that the area experienced one of the most torrid years in its history, “bears a heavier burden than the rest of the nations of the planet and spends up to nine percent of its budgets on adaptation policies” to the ups and downs of the weather.

The study notes that in the last six decades, coinciding with the rise of decolonization, the continent “has seen a warming trend faster than the global average.”

This trend affects everything from food security to public health, including peace, WMO Director Celeste Saulo of Argentina wrote in the report.

The text recalls that Africa is responsible for less than 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, but, in contrast, it is the region most vulnerable to extreme weather events: droughts, floods and heat waves.

The WMO, along with the recommendation to African countries to invest in early warning systems and meteorological services, warns that, if this is not done, 118 million Africans will be exposed to droughts, floods and extreme heat between now and 2030.

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