Climate Extremes in Africa: Trends, Drivers and Impacts

Climate change is causing a change the frequency and severity of extreme events such as heavy precipitation and droughts, with profound implications for water resources, rainfed agriculture, ecosystems, infrastructure, and human health. Climate extremes such as heatwaves, droughts, intense rainfall, and flooding are among the most significant climate-related hazards affecting Africa. Changes in the onset and cessation of rainfall seasons, for example, can have detrimental effects on agricultural productivity and livelihoods for millions of small scale farmers. Recent advances in observations, remote sensing and modelling present unique opportunities to better detect trends, understand meteorological drivers, and attribute causes of these extreme events. This Research Topic aims to bring together cutting-edge research that examines trends, drivers, and impacts of climate extremes across Africa, with the goal of improving scientific understanding and supporting climate risk management, mitigation and adaptation.This Research Topic aims to advance scientific understanding of extreme weather and climate events across Africa and their implications for society and ecosystems. Specifically, it seeks to: 1. gather evidence on the occurrence of extreme weather and climate events across Africa2. improve understanding of the drivers and large-scale climate processes influencing these extremes 3. explore the impacts of climate extremes on key sectors such as agriculture, water resources, and health 4. highlight existing and novel early warning systems for climate risk managementWe invite original research, review articles, and case studies that advance understanding of climate extremes across Africa. Contributions may focus on the observations and modelling of extreme weather and climate events including heatwaves, droughts, extreme precipitation, and floods as well as the factors driving their occurrence. We welcome studies examining historical trends and future projections using observational datasets, satellite products, reanalysis data, and climate model simulations. Interdisciplinary research on the impacts of extreme events on agriculture, water resources, infrastructure, and human health are also within scope of this collection. Contributions may also focus on forecasting, early warning systems, risk assessment, and climate services aimed at improving resilience to climate extremes in Africa. Topic editors: Frederick Otu-Larbi, Vincent Ajayi, Jeffrey N. A. Aryee, Roger Rodrigues Torres Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79660/climate-extremes-in-africa-trends-drivers-and-impacts