“A 2000 year record of Indian ocean SST and implications for adaptation to climate extremes in Eastern and southern Africa”
Country of Study
Kenya
Institution
University of Nairobi
Expected Year of Completion
2024
Thematic Area
Climate Change, Natural resources and the Environment
Education
Jacinta is pursuing her PhD in Earth and Climate Sciences at the University of Nairobi and a Tutorial Fellow at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She is a holder of an MSc in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Nairobi and shall be completing her studies in 2024.
Research Summary
Extreme Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) result in severe floods and droughts in eastern and southern Africa region with adverse effects on the humans There is a lack of data on the Indian Ocean even though it plays a critical role in global heat regulation. Studies have linked SSTs to long-term impact on vegetation, however, there is not enough instrumental record to sufficiently link eastern and southern Africa environmental changes to SSTs variation. Despite the abundant documentation of Drought Early Warning system (DEWs), communities in eastern and southern Africa have been affected by extremes of climate change without effective adaptive strategies to projected droughts. Jacinta’s research provides a unique reconstruction of the climate in the western Indian Ocean region over the past 2000 years to enhance understanding of the oceanic-atmospheric interactions and its impact on regional climate and its consequences on the vegetation on land. The findings of the study are critical in enhancing community resilience and adaptation to the impacts of climate change from a regional and global perspective.
