Last year, the Horn of Africa suffered one of the worst drought-related food crises in decades. The current rainy season there is off to a poor start, and fear of famine once again looms large for the region. Using observations and climate model simulations, IRI researchers have found that the region's March-May rainfall declined abruptly starting in 1999, and that this decline is linked to surface temperature changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
We use a science-based approach to enhance society's capability to understand, anticipate and manage the impacts of climate in order to improve human welfare and the environment, especially in developing countries.
