By Gloria Ikibah
Experts have warned that climate change is putting growing pressure on livelihoods, infrastructure and regional stability across West Africa, as lawmakers deliberate on the need for stronger adaptation measures and regional cooperation.
The warning was issued at the second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and its second Parliamentary Seminar on Monday in Accra, Ghana, where experts examined the theme, “Climate Change as a Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region”. 
The experts said rising temperatures, extreme weather, drought, unpredictable rainfall, flooding, rising sea levels and land degradation were placing increasing pressure on communities and critical infrastructure across the sub-region.
In a presentation on climate change in West Africa, including risk areas, vulnerabilities and implications for regional stability, the 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.
“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 climate hazards became disasters when communities exposed to them lacked the capacity to cope.
According to his presentation, seasonal temperatures in the region 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 the risk of flooding, while drought and heat were placing additional pressure on agriculture and livelihoods.
Farmers, low-income communities, coastal settlements and displaced populations were identified as particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The presentation also highlighted threats to homes, irrigation systems, electricity supply, transport networks, ports, markets and public services.
Sarfo-Yiadom said the consequences of climate change extended beyond the environment, with social and economic implications for communities.
He warned that climate pressures can contribute to displacement and conflict, particularly in communities heavily dependent on agriculture and natural resources.
The expert called for increased investment in climate adaptation, flood-proof zoning and wider climate-risk mapping.
He also urged governments to ensure that early-warning systems reached vulnerable communities and that public authorities were held accountable for climate-related spending.
ECOWAS seeks stronger regional climate action
In another presentation focusing on the ECOWAS regulatory and institutional framework and the need to translate climate commitments into regional action, the Principal Officer, Climate Change and Climate Services at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Raoul Kouame, said the region needed to harmonise climate policies and standards.
He said member states should also be supported to implement their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
“The challenge is no longer just to define climate commitments,” he said.
Kouame identified institutional fragmentation, differences in national capacities and difficulties in accessing climate finance among the challenges affecting climate action across West Africa.
He called for stronger coordination between regional and national institutions, as well as greater sharing of experience among member states.
He also advocated mechanisms that would enable countries to develop national climate frameworks linked to regional structures.
According to him, regional cooperation should cover climate services, early-warning systems, forest and ecosystem protection, carbon markets and access to climate finance.
According to him, West African countries needed 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 their climate commitments more effectively.
The ECOWAS Parliament has previously identified climate change and environmental protection among areas within its parliamentary responsibilities, including the harmonisation of policies and programmes among member states.
Climate risks cross national borders
A climate, water and meteorology expert with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Dr Abdou Ali, also called for greater regional cooperation in responding to climate and resource pressures.
His presentation examined drought, land degradation and food insecurity, with particular attention to the need for countries to share climate information, data, technical expertise and climate services.
Ali said regional cooperation was essential because climate risks did not stop at national borders.
He highlighted agriculture, coastal areas, biodiversity, disaster risk and human displacement as areas requiring coordinated adaptation measures.
He also emphasised the need to integrate climate action into policies covering agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, industrialisation and waste management.
The expert said regional strategies would require adequate financing, stronger institutions and effective implementation mechanisms to deliver results.
The presentations converged on the need for stronger climate adaptation measures across West Africa, with the experts stressing that responses should reflect the needs and livelihoods of affected communities to avoid creating new vulnerabilities.
The discussions come as West African countries face continued climate variability, with drought in the Sahel and flooding in Gulf of Guinea countries posing risks to food security, water resources, health systems and infrastructure. Regional institutions are increasingly emphasising early warning, data sharing and coordinated responses to climate-related disasters.
Parliamentarians at the Accra seminar are continuing deliberations on the expert presentations, with discussions expected to focus on practical measures that can strengthen climate resilience and address the links between environmental degradation, displacement and insecurity in the ECOWAS region.
