Experts demand stronger regional climate action in West Africa

Experts have called for more robust regional action on climate change in West Africa, warning that its effects are already impacting communities, infrastructure and stability across the region. This message was delivered at the start of the Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and Second Seminar, held in Accra, Ghana. The speakers addressed the pressing issue of climate change as a catalyst for environmental degradation, population displacement and escalating insecurity in the ECOWAS region.

During the event, Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, the Senior Programme Officer for Climate Change and Ozone Directorate at Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority, highlighted that climate hazards are now a reality for West Africans. He detailed the increasing risks posed by extreme heat, drought, unpredictable rainfall, rising sea levels and other weather-related events.

These climate hazards have grown in severity, with seasonal temperatures rising by between one and three degrees Celsius since 1970, leading to more intense heatwaves and erratic weather patterns.

The presentation further revealed that vulnerable populations, including farmers, low-income communities, coastal settlements, and displaced individuals, are bearing the brunt of climate change. Risks to homes, irrigation systems, electricity, transport networks, ports, markets, and public services are mounting, and the presentation emphasized that climate change is not just an environmental crisis but also a social and economic one.

To tackle these challenges, the ECOWAS Commission's Principal Officer, Climate Change and Climate Services, Mr Raoul Kouame, called for better coordination between regional and national institutions and greater sharing of best practices among member states. He stressed the need to translate climate commitments into concrete action by harmonizing regional policies and standards, improving climate risk mapping, and ensuring that early-warning systems are accessible to the most vulnerable communities.

Mr Kouame also urged governments to prioritize climate-related spending and hold public authorities accountable for their commitments under the Paris Agreement.