Climate Crisis Fuelling Insecurity Across West Africa — Experts Warn at ECOWAS Parliament Session in Ghana

• Experts have warned that worsening climate conditions are increasing pressure on livelihoods and natural resources, with the resulting displacement, food insecurity and competition potentially deepening insecurity across West Africa.

• Extreme weather worsening: Rising temperatures, drought, erratic rainfall, flooding, rising sea levels and land degradation are increasingly affecting communities and exposing critical infrastructure to growing climate risks.

• Vulnerable communities at risk: Farmers, low-income populations, coastal settlements and displaced persons are among those most exposed, while climate-related pressure on agriculture and natural resources could intensify displacement and conflict.

• ECOWAS urged to act: 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.

September 21, () – 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.

Opening the proceedings, 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.

She also recalled Ghana’s Founder’s Day and the legacy of the country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, whose vision of a free and united Africa, she said, remained relevant to regional cooperation. A minute of silence was observed in his honour.

Climate Hazards Deepen Vulnerability

Presenting an assessment of climate risks in West Africa, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change and Ozone Directorate of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority, Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, said climate hazards were no longer distant threats but realities already affecting communities.

“Climate hazards are with us,” he said, identifying extreme heat, drought, heavy and unpredictable rainfall, rising sea levels and other weather-related events as growing concerns.

Sarfo-Yiadom said a climate hazard becomes a disaster when exposed communities lack the capacity to cope with its effects.

According to his presentation, seasonal temperatures have risen by between one and three degrees Celsius since 1970, contributing to hotter heatwaves and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

He said changing rainfall patterns were also increasing flood risks, while drought and extreme heat were putting additional pressure on farming and livelihoods.

Farmers, low-income communities, coastal settlements and displaced populations, he said, were particularly vulnerable.

The impact also extends to homes, irrigation systems, electricity networks, transport infrastructure, ports, markets and public services.

Displacement, Conflict Risks

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.

As climate pressures undermine livelihoods and access to resources, vulnerable communities could face greater economic hardship and competition over land and water. He called for increased investment in adaptation, flood-proof zoning and wider climate-risk mapping.

He also urged governments to ensure that early-warning systems reach vulnerable communities and called for greater accountability in climate-related spending.

ECOWAS Pushes Regional Response

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.

“The challenge is no longer just to define climate commitments,” he said.

Kouame called for the harmonisation of regional climate policies and standards while supporting member states to implement their commitments under the Paris Agreement.

He identified institutional fragmentation, differences in national capacities and difficulties accessing climate finance as key obstacles to effective climate action.

He advocated stronger coordination between regional and national institutions and greater sharing of experience among member states.

According to him, regional cooperation should cover climate services, early-warning systems, forest and ecosystem protection, carbon markets and access to climate finance.

He also urged countries to strengthen their capacity to access available climate funds and develop innovative financing mechanisms to support implementation.

Kouame stressed that ECOWAS had an important role to play in providing regional solidarity and helping member states implement climate commitments more effectively.

Drought, Land Degradation Threaten Food Security

Climate, water and meteorology expert with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Dr Abdou Ali, also highlighted the security implications of drought, land degradation and food insecurity.

Ali stressed the importance of regional cooperation because climate and resource pressures do not stop at national borders. He called for greater sharing of climate information, data, technical expertise, and climate services among member states.

He identified agriculture, coastal areas, biodiversity, disaster risk and human displacement as areas requiring coordinated adaptation measures.

Ali also advocated integrating climate action into agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, industrialisation and waste management policies.

He said regional strategies must be backed by adequate financing, stronger institutions and effective implementation mechanisms.

The presentations converged on the need for stronger climate adaptation across West Africa, with experts stressing that interventions must reflect the needs and livelihoods of affected communities to avoid creating new vulnerabilities.