The Greatest Desert of the African continent
A sweeping heat dome has kept tens of millions under heat alerts from the Midwest to the East Coast. Overnight temperatures are failing to cool, heightening health risks and straining power grids. El Niño is intensifying the heat, and cooling centers, water, and hydration remain critical.
Lesotho’s Afriski Mountain Resort, perched at 3,200 metres in the Maluti Mountains, is Africa’s only full-scale ski area. It relies on artificial snow to stay open through winter, drawing mainly South African visitors and contributing about 7% to Lesotho’s GDP as ski tourism expands in southern Africa.
The 12‑day conference has launched a rangelands initiative that mobilizes $1.2 billion for 45 projects, aiming to restore degraded land and bolster food security in fragile ecosystems. The effort, highlighted during Mongolia talks, aligns with broader UN goals to combat desertification and climate impacts.
Projections show 451,000 additional heat-related deaths globally between June and February 2027, with Nigeria, Sudan, Niger and Chad bearing the heaviest impact. The Climate Impact Lab says emergency actions now can save tens of thousands of lives as El Niño intensifies.
Barham Salih has told the UN Security Council that peace is the responsibility of the council, not just humanitarian agencies. He cites Sudan, Congo, Ukraine, Western Sahara camps, and Yemen to highlight ongoing displacement and the need to prevent displacement where possible and rebuild lives in safety.