FACTSHEET EAST AFRICA

This fact sheet, based on the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, details the current and future climate risks for East Africa. It highlights that the region has warmed faster than the global average, leading to increased drought frequency, glacier loss, and severe impacts on food systems, human health, and economic growth. The document outlines adaptation strategies, such as ecosystem-based solutions and climate-smart agriculture, while emphasizing the critical need for increased finance, improved climate literacy, and robust governance to build regional resilience.

• East Africa has experienced warming that exceeds the global average, with average annual surface temperatures increasing by 0.7°C–1°C between 1973 and 2013. This warming is accompanied by an increase in warm nights, days, and spells, particularly in central and northern regions. Additionally, the number of marine heat waves along the Somalian coastlines doubled from 1982–20, a trend attributed to human-induced climate change with 90–100% probability.
• Climate change has significantly altered precipitation and water patterns in East Africa. Drought frequency has doubled since 2005, occurring once every three years compared to once every six. While the short rains (October-December) became wetter from the 1960s to 2017, the long rainfall season (March-May) became drier between 1986 and 2007. Glacial retreat is also evident, with Mount Kenya's glaciers decreasing by 44% between 2004 and 2016.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2022). FACTSHEET EAST AFRICA. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet_East%20Africa_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. FACTSHEET EAST AFRICA. 2022. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet_East%20Africa_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=FACTSHEET EAST AFRICA |date=2022 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet_East%20Africa_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2022factsheet, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{FACTSHEET EAST AFRICA}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2022}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet_East%20Africa_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }