Drought

As part of our Library Chat series, Adam Sobel and Alessandra Giannini discuss the science, impacts, and history of drought in the Sahel region of Africa. They touch on the various forms of human influence on Sahel rainfall, Gianinni’s research on the topic, and the complicated legacy of the late Jule Charney, whose early work, later refuted by Giannini, suggested that drought and “desertification” could be caused by human land use in the region.

Alessandra Giannini is a climate scientist with over 15 years of engagement in international collaboration in scientific research and in science-policy dialogues, especially in Africa, Alessandra Giannini is best known for her post-doctoral work that conclusively demonstrated the oceanic origin of Sahel drought.