According to experts, reliable climate data would help the continent cope with natural disasters even more extreme.
The act was symbolic: The Chairman of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping, planting a tree in the courtyard of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) on October 13. At his side, Abdoulie Janneh, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) and also executive secretary of ECA, and Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank (ADB), repeating the same gesture. These trees will reflect the strong and visible in Africa to fight against climate change.
changes that experts say will affect not only the nature of African countries by exposing to various natural disasters (floods, droughts, storms, etc..), but also have an economic impact (including on agriculture, economic base of most African countries) and social, for example by increasing food insecurity due to low agricultural productivity. "The planet already has 35 million displaced because of climate change (and) these figures will increase to 500 million by 2015 if nothing is done to reduce the devastating effects of these changes (climate, Editor's note)," said Josue Dione, director of food security and sustainable development in ECA.
To reduce effects of this phenomenon, the Framework Convention of UN on Climate Change recommends that countries, the adoption of adaptation and mitigation. But to achieve develop measures and strategies against such changes, it is important for African countries to have reliable climate data. This is far from being the case, especially because a deficit in weather stations. According to a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), published in 2009, Africa would need over 3,600 weather stations to enable all countries to provide reliable climate information could help them better understand climate change. But in 2009, the report said, the continent had only 744, of which only one quarter is in line with international standards.
