ECOWAS Parliament Climate Seminar Calls for Stronger Regional Action as Climate Risks Threaten West Africa

ACCRA, GHANA — Experts at the ECOWAS Parliament’s Second Extraordinary Session and Second Seminar in Accra have called for stronger and more coordinated regional action on climate change, warning that worsening climate pressures are increasingly threatening livelihoods, food security, infrastructure, population stability and development across West Africa.

The call came during the seminar themed “Climate Change as a Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region.”

Participants said the region was already experiencing the effects of rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, drought, flooding, rising sea levels and land degradation, with farmers, low-income communities, coastal populations and displaced persons among those facing some of the greatest risks.

Climate hazards already affecting communities

Opening the proceedings, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, welcomed parliamentarians, experts and other participants to Accra, describing the gathering as an important platform for examining emerging challenges affecting the region and strengthening collective responses.

The Speaker also recalled the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose birth coincides with the country’s Founder’s Day, and his vision of a free, united and integrated Africa.

A minute of silence was observed in his honour.

Speaking on the implications of climate change for communities and regional stability, the Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change and Ozone Directorate of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority, Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, warned that climate hazards were no longer distant or theoretical threats.

“Climate hazards are with us,”

he said, pointing to extreme heat, drought, unpredictable rainfall and rising sea levels as among the growing challenges confronting communities.

Dr Sarfo-Yiadom said seasonal temperatures had increased by between one and three degrees Celsius since 1970, contributing to more intense heatwaves and changing weather patterns.

He explained that the consequences were being felt not only by agricultural communities but also across critical infrastructure and public services.

Homes, irrigation systems, electricity networks, transport infrastructure, ports, markets and other essential facilities, he noted, were increasingly exposed to climate-related risks.

According to him, communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture and natural resources could face increased displacement and social tensions as environmental pressures intensify.

He therefore called for greater investment in climate adaptation, climate-risk mapping, flood-resilient planning and early-warning systems capable of reaching vulnerable communities before disasters occur.

ECOWAS urged to turn climate commitments into action

The Principal Officer, Climate Change and Climate Services at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Raoul Kouame, said the region must move beyond policy commitments and focus more strongly on implementation.

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

Kouame said, stressing the need for member states to translate existing commitments into coordinated and practical action.

He identified institutional fragmentation, differences in national capacities and limited access to climate finance as major obstacles to effective climate action across the region.

He called for stronger institutional links between national governments and regional bodies, alongside increased sharing of technical expertise, data and practical experience among ECOWAS member states.

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

Climate risks require cross-border solutions

A climate, water and meteorology expert with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Dr Abdou Ali, also emphasised the need for cross-border cooperation.

He noted that climate-related risks do not respect national boundaries and therefore require responses that extend beyond individual countries.

Dr Ali advocated greater sharing of climate information, data, technical expertise and climate services, particularly among countries and communities affected by drought, land degradation and food insecurity.

He also called for climate considerations to be integrated into major development sectors, including agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, industrialisation and waste management.

From commitments to implementation

Across the presentations, experts emphasised that effective climate adaptation would depend on stronger institutions, sustainable financing, reliable implementation mechanisms and policies that reflect the realities of communities whose livelihoods are directly affected by environmental change.

The discussions also highlighted the connection between climate change, environmental degradation, displacement and insecurity.

As pressure on land, water and other natural resources increases, experts warned that existing vulnerabilities could become more difficult to manage without coordinated regional intervention.

The seminar therefore places a broader question before ECOWAS policymakers: how can the region translate climate commitments into practical measures capable of protecting communities, strengthening resilience and safeguarding development?

For West Africa, the issue extends beyond environmental protection. It increasingly intersects with food security, migration, livelihoods, infrastructure, public health, economic development and regional stability.

Parliamentarians deliberate on expert recommendations

The ECOWAS Parliament is continuing deliberations on the presentations and recommendations emerging from the seminar in Accra.

The outcome of the discussions is expected to contribute to the broader regional conversation on strengthening climate resilience and improving cooperation among ECOWAS member states in responding to environmental and climate-related challenges.

As climate pressures continue to evolve, the discussions in Accra underscore the importance of moving from commitments and declarations towards coordinated implementation, adequate financing, reliable data and practical measures that reach vulnerable communities across West Africa.

Voice Your Vote Nigeria Editorial Desk