The ECOWAS Parliament has urged for immediate action to combat climate change and its devastating effects in the West African sub-region. At the Parliament's 2026 Second Extraordinary Session Seminar in Accra, Ghana, Speaker Mémounatou Ibrahima emphasized the need for practical and people-centered responses to the growing effects of climate change. The seminar, themed "Focusing on Climate Change, Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Growing Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region," brought together regional lawmakers to examine the interconnected challenges facing communities.
Climate change has fueled displacement and insecurity in West Africa, with environmental disruption increasingly affecting livelihoods, communities, and population security. Ibrahima warned that the effects of climate disruption can no longer be viewed solely through statistics or scientific projections, as communities are already experiencing its consequences. The speaker called for a human-centered approach to addressing climate change, highlighting the need to protect the living conditions, dignity, and security of populations.
Ibrahima emphasized that climate disruption can no longer be measured only in degrees, statistics, or projections. Instead, it is evident in land that yields less, coastlines that retreat, flooded neighborhoods, families losing their livelihoods, and communities forced to relocate. She asked, "Behind the climate question lies a profoundly human one: how do we protect the living conditions, dignity and security of our populations when their environment is changing faster than their capacity to adapt to it?"
As regional parliamentarians, it is their responsibility to connect technical knowledge with the realities experienced by their constituents. Ibrahima stressed that the expertise shared during the seminar would be valuable but must be combined with the experiences of lawmakers who remain closely connected to their communities. This dialogue between technical knowledge and lived realities can lead to truly useful proposals.
The seminar is part of the activities of the Parliament's Sixth Legislature, which brings together regional lawmakers to examine the interconnected challenges facing communities across the sub-region. Together with experts and other stakeholders, the parliamentarians are expected to examine how climate change and environmental degradation contribute to population movements and insecurity.
The ECOWAS Parliament's call for urgent action on climate change highlights the growing concern about the impacts of environmental degradation in West Africa. The region is already experiencing the consequences of climate disruption, including displacement, insecurity, and loss of livelihoods. The parliamentarians' efforts to address these challenges aim to protect the well-being and security of populations.
The seminar's outcome is expected to inform regional responses to the climate crisis and its related challenges. By combining technical knowledge with lived realities, the parliamentarians aim to develop practical and effective solutions to address the growing effects of climate change in the ECOWAS region.
Key points
- ECOWAS Parliament calls for urgent action to address climate change and its impacts in West Africa.
- Climate change has fueled displacement and insecurity in West Africa, affecting livelihoods and population security.
- The parliamentarians aim to develop practical and effective solutions to address the growing effects of climate change in the ECOWAS region.
