US Exit From Key UN Climate Bodies Raises Alarm Among African Scientists

The formal withdrawal of the United States from major United Nations bodies, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, announced earlier in January, has triggered concern among African scientists over the long-term stability of climate research, early-warning systems and international scientific cooperation.

The UNFCCC plays a central role in shaping national climate reporting and policy cycles, while the IPCC serves as the primary mechanism for synthesising global climate science into assessment reports relied upon by governments, funders and academic institutions.

Scientists across Africa say the programmes most exposed to the withdrawal are those dependent on UNFCCC- and IPCC-linked climate research and modelling frameworks. Expected impacts include reduced capacity-building, fewer assessment-related opportunities, limited participation in author teams and review processes, and weaker regional scientific engagement.

Researchers warn that the effects could extend beyond academic research, affecting climate-related services and applied work in agriculture, water management and disaster preparedness, particularly where cross-border coordination and technical initiatives rely on multilateral cooperation.

Energy transition research and policy support are also expected to face challenges due to less predictable global technical assistance and slower consensus-building on benchmarks that influence donor funding and national planning processes.

Biodiversity and ecosystem research linked to global assessment mechanisms may also suffer, as reduced multilateral convening power could disrupt funding alignment across biodiversity, ocean and ecosystem initiatives.

Although immediate impacts may be limited, scientists caution that cumulative effects on funding, technical capacity and scientific infrastructure could be significant, especially for regions already vulnerable to extreme climate events.

Atmospheric scientist Professor Roelof Burger of South Africa’s North-West University said the main concern lies not in political signalling but in the practical consequences for systems underpinning climate science and disaster-risk reduction. He noted that multi-hazard early-warning systems in the Southern African Development Community depend heavily on global weather and climate science infrastructure, including numerical weather prediction models, radar systems, nowcasting tools and training pipelines.

Burger emphasised that such systems rely on global model guidance, open-source tools, international standards and sustained capacity-building, much of which is directly or indirectly supported by US institutions.

Letsatsi Lekhooa, a climate change researcher at the National University of Lesotho, said US disengagement from major UN bodies could lead to fragmented and under-resourced climate research, slower consensus-building and reduced shared scientific capacity, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He noted that US support has historically been critical through funding, scientific leadership and data infrastructure, warning that cuts to participation could reduce technical workshops, weaken global assessment processes and limit access for Global South researchers to high-profile scientific networks.

Lekhooa added that countries such as Lesotho rely heavily on international climate frameworks for national reporting, planning and adaptation implementation, and that weakened UNFCCC-linked technical support could disrupt evidence-based planning. He said some projects in Lesotho have already been paused or halted.

Burger further cautioned that reduced US participation could slow scientific progress, limit training opportunities and weaken operational climate services. He highlighted concerns over the future capacity of major US-based institutions such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which plays a key global role in climate modelling, radar software development and training.

African researchers stressed the need to diversify international partnerships, strengthen regional technical capacity and reduce dependence on single sources of expertise or funding.

Professor Debra Roberts, a coordinating lead author of the IPCC and head of the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit in South Africa’s eThekwini Municipality, said achieving climate-resilient development requires a whole-of-society approach and ambitious participation from all stakeholders.

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