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Disasters Damage $12.7 Billion of African Infrastructure a Year

By | September 9, 2025

The average annual loss of infrastructure including buildings caused by disasters in Africa is $12.7 billion, according to the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Of the damage 70% is caused by floods followed by earthquakes at about 28%, which are less frequent but more catastrophic, the group said in a report on Monday. The CDRI consists of United Nations agencies, development banks, private companies and academic institutions.

“¹ú²úÒ»¸£Àû change is expected to increase the impact of disasters on infrastructure by as much as 27%, resulting in average annual loss of $2.4 billion,” the report said, without giving a date. “Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate-related disasters.”

At a regional level, the worst devastation is in eastern Africa at $5.5 billion, followed by northern Africa at $2.3 billion. The continent’s south suffers damage of approximately $2.3 billion, while $1.58 billion is lost in the west. At a country level, the nations with the worst destruction are South Africa at $1.7 billion, Nigeria with $1.1 billion and Algeria at $1 billion.

Smaller nations with sparser infrastructure have fewer losses, although the damage is relatively more significant to their economies. Average annual loss represents 1.5% of Lesotho’s gross domestic product, 1.25% for Mauritius and 1% for Comoros.

Photo: Flooded roads in Gqeberha, South Africa, on June 10, 2025. Photo credit: Lulama Zenzile/Gallo Images/Getty Images

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