Code-blize/africa-climate-disaster-timeline

A timeline visualization of climate disasters across Africa (1980 - 2026) built with Python and Flourish # Africa Climate Disaster Timeline ### A data storytelling project across two SWD challenges --- ## About This Project This repository documents two Storytelling with Data (SWD) challenge submissions built from the same EM-DAT climate disaster dataset — exploring different stories hidden inside the same data. Both projects were built by a Physics graduate from Lagos, Nigeria, using Python and Flourish, with a conviction that African climate data deserves more visibility in global data storytelling conversations. --- ## Challenge 1 — April 2026: Visualize a Timeline ### "A Continent on the Edge" *Tracking Africa's escalating climate disasters, 1980–2025* Before working on this project, I assumed Africa was largely protected from climate change — after all, the continent contributes less than 4% of global CO₂ emissions. I was wrong. Tracking 1,883 climate disaster events across Africa over 45 years, the data tells an uncomfortable truth: floods, droughts, storms, wildfires, and extreme temperatures have escalated dramatically — and the people least responsible for climate change are bearing the heaviest cost. ### Key Findings - **1,883 climate disaster events** recorded across Africa from 1980–2025 - A clear inflection point around **1999–2000**, after which disaster frequency nearly doubled - **Floods dominate** — the single largest disaster category across the entire period - A dramatic spike between **1995–2010** represents the most concentrated period of climate disasters in modern African history - The last decade (2015–2025) shows sustained high frequency with no signs of slowing ### Landmark Events Annotated | Year | Event | |------|-------| | 1983 | Ethiopia & Sudan droughts — 450,000 deaths | | 2000 | Mozambique floods — 800,000 displaced | | 2010 | Somalia drought — 20,000 deaths | | 2019 | Cyclone Idai — Mozambique & Zimbabwe | | 2023 | Libya Storm Daniel — 13,200 deaths | --- ## Challenge 2 — June 2026: When Normal is Noteworthy ### "Flo …