State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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Video: Is Drought In East Africa The New Normal?

Earlier this month, we wrote about a report from the US Agency for International Development’s Famine and Early Warning Systems Network that warns the Horn of Africa may once again face food shortages because of a poorly performing rainy season.

In January, climate scientists Bradfield Lyon and David Dewitt from the International Research Institute for Climate and Society published a paper showing that since 1999, drought has become more frequent during the March-to-May rainy season in East Africa. What’s more, they connected this decrease in rainfall to sea-surface temperatures changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean, not the Indian Ocean, as other papers previously suggested.

Lyon explains the findings in this video interview:

Follow @climatesociety on Twitter or visit the IRI web site for the latest updates on East Africa and to learn more about our work and mission.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

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