ECOWAS lawmakers urged to step up climate action

Mrs Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, has urged lawmakers to intensify their efforts in addressing the escalating impact of climate change across the sub-region. She emphasized the growing frequency of floods, heat waves, and rising sea levels, which have transcended mere data and projections to directly affect lives and security.

Ibrahima made this call during the second ECOWAS Parliamentary Seminar, held in Accra, Ghana, under the theme "Climate Change as a Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region." The seminar served as a forum for lawmakers from ECOWAS member states to discuss strategies for tackling climate change and adaptation challenges, as well as exchange best practices throughout the region.

Ibrahima stated that climate disruption can no longer be quantified solely in degrees, statistics, or projections; it is evident in diminishing farmlands, retreating coastlines, inundated neighborhoods, families losing their livelihoods, and communities forced to relocate. She highlighted the human consequence of climate change: safeguarding the well-being, dignity, and security of populations in the face of rapidly changing environments.

Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, Senior Programme Officer for Climate Change and Ozone at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stressed the necessity of consistent funding for climate change adaptation and the implementation and enforcement of laws, particularly those concerning flood-prone areas. He also advocated for increased investments in early warning systems and urged lawmakers to provide regular updates on climate change to foster accountability.

Sarfo-Yiadom further highlighted the insufficient climate change adaptation mechanisms in the sub-region and called on African nations to devise suitable measures to mitigate the associated risks. He expressed concern over the lack of climate change adaptation mechanisms and encouraged the development of nature-based solutions for coastal protection, noting that artificial interventions could merely transfer climate change impacts to other areas.

Sarfo-Yiadom emphasized that Ghana requires $22 billion to implement its climate actions by 2030, urging lawmakers to reassess climate change priorities and risk areas, align climate change with funded initiatives, and monitor climate change agreements as part of the next steps following the seminar.