State of the Climate in Africa 2025 — Launch Event

Mr. Harsen Nyambe, Director for Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy of the African Union Commission, representing H.E. Ambassador Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment;

Prof. Lackson Kasonka, Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, representing the Secretary to the Cabinet of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Patrick Kangwa;

Dr Fetene Teshome, President of Regional Association I of the World Meteorological Organization;

Mr Edson NKONDE, Permanent Representative of Zambia to the World Meteorological Organization;

Excellencies;

Directors of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services;

Distinguished delegates and colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the launch of the State of the Climate in Africa 2025 report. 

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the Members, partners and experts who contributed to the State of the Climate in Africa 2025 Report, as well as the WMO Secretariat.

Let me go straight to the main message.

In 2025, weather and climate-related hazards affected at least 13 million people across Africa. Behind every impact is a person. A family. A community. A livelihood. 

That is why this report matters.

It is not simply a collection of statistics. It helps us understand what is happening and, more importantly, what we can do to better protect people and economies in the future.

The report shows that Africa continues to face major challenges.

Temperatures remained well above average in 2025. Drought affected more than 8.5 million people in East Africa. Flooding accounted for more than half of the reported extreme events. Severe floods in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo claimed hundreds of lives.

The report also highlights long-term trends. Africa’s glaciers are vanishing fast and have lost more than 90 per cent of their area since the late nineteenth century. On Mount Kilimanjaro, glacier coverage has shrunk from 11.4 square kilometres in 1900 to less than one square kilometre today.

At the same time, ocean warming continues across the region, affecting coastal communities and marine ecosystems. Sea-level rise along Africa’s coasts between 1999 and 2025 exceeded the global average.

These findings are concerning.

But there is another message in this report, and it is an important one: We can reduce the impacts of these hazards.

When people receive timely, reliable and credible warnings, lives are saved.

The report highlights examples from countries in the region which clearly demonstrate that with early warnings, inter-agency coordination and community support, the consequences were significantly less severe, than they could have been. This is why early warnings are so important.

And this is why continuing to invest in observations, forecasting and climate services matter.

They are not abstract scientific concepts. They help farmers decide when to plant. They help governments prepare for floods and droughts. They help communities protect lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.

Yet significant gaps remain.

Fewer than 40 per cent of countries in Africa currently report preparedness and response capabilities for multi-hazard early warning systems.

We must change that.

We need stronger observation networks. We need better forecasting services. We need closer collaboration between meteorological services, disaster management agencies and decision-makers. And we need to ensure that warnings reach everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

Africa is already demonstrating leadership through innovation, partnerships and local solutions. We must build on that progress and tap into the important resource that the continent has – its young people.

Today, I encourage policymakers, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector to use the findings of this report to guide decisions and investments.

The science is clear.

The tools exist.

The challenge before us is to turn knowledge into action.

WMO remains fully committed to working with all African Members and partners to strengthen early warning systems, improve services and build a more resilient future.

Thank you.