The worsening climate crisis is fuelling population displacement, threatening livelihoods and creating conditions that could deepen insecurity across West Africa, experts have warned. The warning was issued at the Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and Second Seminar held in Accra, Ghana, with the theme: “Climate Change as a Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region.”
Experts said rising temperatures, extreme heat, drought, unpredictable rainfall, flooding, rising sea levels and land degradation were placing growing pressure on communities, natural resources and critical infrastructure across the region. Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, welcomed parliamentarians and participants to Accra, stressing the significance of the gathering and the opportunity it provided to address challenges affecting the region.
Climate hazards are no longer distant threats but realities already affecting communities, according to Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change and Ozone Directorate of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority. He identified extreme heat, drought, heavy and unpredictable rainfall, rising sea levels and other weather-related events as growing concerns.
Sarfo-Yiadom warned that climate change was no longer solely an environmental issue, given its growing social and economic consequences. He said climate pressures could contribute to displacement and conflict, particularly in communities heavily dependent on agriculture and natural resources.
Principal Officer, Climate Change and Climate Services at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Raoul Kouame, said the region must move beyond climate commitments to coordinated implementation. He called for the harmonisation of regional climate policies and standards while supporting member states to implement their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Climate, water and meteorology expert with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Dr Abdou Ali, highlighted the security implications of drought, land degradation and food insecurity. Ali stressed the importance of regional cooperation in addressing these challenges.
Experts called for stronger regional cooperation, improved early-warning systems, climate-risk mapping, harmonised policies and greater access to climate finance to help member states tackle cross-border climate and security threats. The ECOWAS Parliament session aimed to address the growing concerns of climate change and its impact on the region.
Key points
- Experts warn of growing climate-related pressure on livelihoods and natural resources in West Africa.
- Climate change fuelling population displacement and insecurity across the region.
- Experts call for stronger regional cooperation and greater access to climate finance.
