As Africa grapples with significant climate-related economic losses, proactive measures to safeguard airport infrastructure and operations are more critical than ever.
This was the message from the aviation industry, which gathered to discuss climate change and its impact on African airports at the 33rd Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Regional Conference, which took place at the new Acsa International Indaba Conference Centre last month.
Jennifer Desharnais, Senior Director of Sustainability and Environmental Protection at ACI World, said climate change adaptation and resilience were not new topics, and sometimes they were overshadowed by the race toward decarbonisation.
However, as extreme weather events multiply, Desharnais believes they are going to gain a lot of attention, although perhaps still not fast enough.
“A lack of adaptation can lead to snowball effects whereby climate impacts at one airport may extend to others. As airport operators calculate the associated risks, they are also called upon to initiate urgent adaptation measures to both existing and new infrastructures to minimise the impact of climate change on ground and flight operations,” she said.
ACI World in 2019 collected information from its global membership on the current or expected impacts of severe weather events on modern airports and the airports' level of preparedness.
There were 13 respondents from African airports – 71% said they were already affected, and 85% had not conducted a climate change risk assessment.
According to the World Meteorological Organization’s 2023 State of the Climate in Africa report, Africa bears an exceptionally heavy burden from climate change and disproportionately high costs for essential climate adaptation.
On average, it is causing African countries to lose 2-5% of their GDP, and many are diverting up to 9% of their budgets to respond to climate extremes. In sub-Saharan Africa, the cost of adaptation is estimated to range from US$30-50bn (R522-R871bn) annually, over the next decade, or 2-3% of the region's GDP.
By 2030, it is estimated that up to 118 million extremely poor people, living on less than US$1,9 (R33) per day, will be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat in Africa if adequate response measures are not put in place. This will place additional burdens on poverty alleviation efforts and significantly hamper growth.
To help airports implement climate solutions that protect the natural resources of the communities they belong to, while ensuring their global growth and sustainability, ACI World provides comprehensive tools and expertise, such as environment-focused courses and training programmes, in-person and online events, and learning opportunities.
