How cities in Africa are adapting to intense and deadly heat
Cities in Africa are adapting to intense and deadly heat, with temperatures reaching record highs in recent years. The semi-arid Sahel region has been particularly affected, with droughts and heatwaves becoming more frequent and severe. As a result, countries such as Burkina Faso are implementing heatwave alert systems and prevention plans to mitigate the impact of extreme heat.
- ▪Burkina Faso has established a heatwave alert system and prevention plan called Stay hydrated and stay alive.
- ▪The plan is managed by the Ministry of Health, the National Meteorological Agency, and the Red Cross.
- ▪The trigger threshold for the alert system is set at 42.4°C for at least three consecutive days.
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The Knysna lagoon during a severe drought in the Western Cape province, South Africa, on February 7, 2026. ESA ALEXANDER/REUTERS With France experiencing temperatures rivaling those seen in parts of Africa for nearly a week, will it look south to shape a real adaptation policy? In the semi-arid Sahel, where long droughts are common, it took time to realize that even more extreme situations lay ahead. But when the mercury fluctuated between 40°C and 50°C in 2024 during the hottest season – from March to May – breaking historical records across the continent, this new reality became impossible to ignore. "With peaks above 45°C in Ouagadougou, the situation got out of our control.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Le Monde (EN).
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