Here’s a punchier Sun-style rewrite, leading with the warning about climate change, displacement and insecurity.
Rising Heat, Floods, Drought Threaten West Africa — Experts
Climate experts have warned that rising temperatures, extreme weather and environmental degradation are increasingly threatening livelihoods, infrastructure and regional stability across West Africa.
The experts made the call at the Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and Second Seminar in Accra, Ghana, where they urged member states to strengthen regional cooperation and invest more in climate adaptation measures.
The seminar was themed “Climate Change as a Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region.”
According to a statement issued on Monday, experts at the meeting identified drought, flooding, unpredictable rainfall, rising sea levels and land degradation as growing threats capable of worsening existing economic and social vulnerabilities across the region.
Speaking on climate risks and their implications for regional stability, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change and Ozone Directorate of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority, Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, said climate change had become an immediate reality for communities across West Africa.
“Climate hazards are with us,” Sarfo-Yiadom said, listing extreme heat, drought, heavy rainfall, changing rainfall patterns and rising sea levels among the major threats confronting the region.
He explained that climate hazards could become disasters when communities exposed to them lacked the capacity and resources to respond effectively.
According to him, seasonal temperatures have risen by between one and three degrees Celsius since 1970, contributing to more frequent heatwaves and unpredictable weather patterns.
Sarfo-Yiadom said changing rainfall patterns were increasing the risk of flooding, while prolonged drought and extreme heat were putting additional pressure on agriculture and livelihoods.
He identified farmers, low-income communities, coastal settlements and displaced populations as among those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The expert further warned that climate-related risks were increasingly affecting critical infrastructure, including homes, irrigation facilities, electricity systems, transport networks, ports, markets and public services.
He said the consequences of climate change extended beyond the environment, noting that worsening conditions could contribute to displacement and conflict, particularly in communities heavily dependent on agriculture and natural resources.
Sarfo-Yiadom called for increased investment in climate adaptation, improved flood-proof planning and wider climate-risk mapping.
He also urged governments to strengthen early-warning systems and ensure that climate information gets to communities most exposed to environmental hazards.
The expert further called for greater accountability in the management and utilisation of funds allocated to climate-related programmes.
ECOWAS Seeks Stronger Action
Also speaking, Principal Officer, Climate Change and Climate Services at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Raoul Kouame, said West African countries needed to move beyond climate commitments to stronger implementation.
“The challenge is no longer just to define climate commitments,” Kouame said.
He identified institutional fragmentation, differences in national capacities and inadequate access to climate finance as major obstacles to effective climate action in the region.
Kouame called for stronger coordination between ECOWAS institutions and member states, as well as increased exchange of technical knowledge and experience.
He said regional cooperation should cover climate services, early-warning systems, forest and ecosystem protection, carbon markets and access to climate financing.
According to him, ECOWAS should also support member states in developing national climate frameworks aligned with regional structures and commitments.
He stressed the need for innovative financing mechanisms and stronger capacity among countries in the region to access existing international climate funds.
CILSS: Share Climate Data
In his presentation, climate, water and meteorology expert with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Dr Abdou Ali, said the cross-border nature of climate challenges made collective action essential.
Ali emphasised the need for ECOWAS countries to share climate data, technical expertise, information and climate services to improve preparedness and response.
He identified drought, land degradation and food insecurity as major concerns, while highlighting agriculture, coastal communities, biodiversity, disaster management and population displacement as areas requiring coordinated adaptation strategies.
He also urged governments to integrate climate considerations into policies covering agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, industrialisation and waste management.
Ali said effective regional climate strategies would require adequate financing, stronger institutions and mechanisms capable of ensuring that agreed policies were implemented.
Earlier, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, welcomed parliamentarians and other participants to Accra.
She said the session provided an opportunity for lawmakers and stakeholders to deliberate on issues of importance to the region.
Ibrahima also recalled Ghana’s Founder’s Day and the legacy of the country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, whose vision she said centred on a free and united Africa capable of determining its own destiny.
A minute of silence was observed in honour of Nkrumah.
