COP32 in Ethiopia Sets AI-Driven Climate Adaptation Agenda for Africa

The COP32 conference in Ethiopia highlighted an African agenda for using artificial intelligence to strengthen climate adaptation. Delegates noted that, despite contributing less than 4 % of global greenhouse‑gas emissions, Africa is warming faster than the world average and losing 2‑5 % of GDP each year to climate extremes. The World Meteorological Organization’s 2025 report warned that climate‑related losses could rise to 11‑27 % of GDP in the long term, with crop revenues falling up to 30 % and poverty increasing by 20‑30 %. In 2025 alone, extreme weather affected at least 13 million people across the continent and caused over 3 000 deaths, with floods in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounting for the majority of fatalities. The conference called for AI‑driven tools to improve early warning systems, risk mapping and resource allocation, aiming to reduce the human and economic toll of floods, droughts and landslides that have repeatedly devastated Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and other nations. Participants urged governments and development partners to integrate these technologies into national climate strategies to enhance resilience and protect livelihoods.