Operationalizing extreme event attribution for African countries

Quantifying humans’ influence on climate change both in mean and extremes has critical importance from addressing public curiosity during and after climate hazards to adaptation, mitigation and evidence-based Loss and Damage claims. Moreover, efforts globally are advancing quantifying humans’ contribution, beyond observed changes in climate, to observed impacts. Although this information is more important to vulnerable African countries, there is limited information produced that could inform policies and substantiate Africa’s position in global climate governance. Therefore, this Innovation Brief on Operationalizing Extreme Event Attribution for African Countries, documents the ongoing efforts and why and how to operationalize extremes events for African countries and strategies that after all accelerates climate change attribution information in the continent. Details of how and the strategies to maintain scientific rigor while attributing extreme events in data-scarce regions are indicated in a separate opinion piece.

Engdaw, M.M.; Ghosh, A.; Chilambe, P.A.