Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
ECOWAS member states have been urged by experts to intensify regional action against climate change, warning that rising temperatures, extreme weather, and environmental degradation are increasingly threatening livelihoods, infrastructure and stability across West Africa.
The call was made at the Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and the Second Seminar held in Accra, Ghana, with the theme, “Climate Change as a Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region.”
The experts in their statement on Monday noted that drought, flooding, unpredictable rainfall, rising sea levels and land degradation were compounding existing economic and social vulnerabilities in communities across the region.
A Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change and Ozone Directorate of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority, Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, in his speech on climate risks and their implications for regional stability noted that climate change had become an immediate reality for West African communities.
According to Sarfo-Yiadom, in his speech, ” Climate hazards are with us,” he identified extreme heat, drought, heavy rainfall, changing rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels among the major threats facing the region.
He said that without adequate capacity and resources by communities exposed to them, climate hazards could become disasters when
According to him, seasonal temperatures have increased by between one and three degrees Celsius since 1970, contributing to more frequent heatwaves and unpredictable weather conditions.
He noted that changing rainfall patterns were increasing flood risks, while prolonged drought and extreme heat were putting pressure on agricultural production and livelihoods.
Sarfo-Yiadom further noted that among these woes were farmers, low-income communities, coastal settlements, and displaced populations among those most vulnerable to climate impacts.
He further warned that climate-related risks were affecting critical infrastructure, including homes, irrigation facilities, electricity systems, transport networks, ports, markets, and public services.
The expert said climate change had consequences beyond the environment, noting that worsening climate conditions could contribute to population displacement and conflict, particularly in areas where communities depend heavily on agriculture and natural resources.
He called for increased investment in adaptation measures, improved flood-proof planning, and wider climate-risk mapping.
Sarfo-Yiadom also urged governments to strengthen early-warning systems and ensure that climate information reaches communities most exposed to environmental hazards.
He called for greater accountability in the utilisation of funds allocated to climate-related programmes.
Also speaking, Principal Officer, Climate Change and Climate Services at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Raoul Kouame, said the region needed to move from climate commitments to stronger implementation.
“The challenge is no longer just to define climate commitments,” Kouame said.
He identified institutional fragmentation, disparities in national capacities and limited access to climate finance as major obstacles to effective climate action.
Kouame urged ECOWAS to strengthen coordination between regional institutions and member states while promoting the exchange of technical knowledge and experience.
He said regional cooperation should encompass climate services, early-warning systems, forest and ecosystem protection, carbon markets and access to climate financing.
According to him, ECOWAS should also help member states develop national climate frameworks that are aligned with regional structures and commitments.
He stressed the importance of developing innovative financing mechanisms and improving the region’s capacity to access existing international climate funds.
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 climate-related challenges required collective action because their effects were not restricted by national boundaries.
Ali emphasised the importance of sharing climate data, information, technical expertise and climate services among ECOWAS member states.
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 called for climate considerations to be integrated into policies on agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, industrialisation and waste management.
Ali said effective regional climate strategies must be supported by adequate financing, stronger institutions and mechanisms capable of ensuring implementation.
Earlier, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, welcomed parliamentarians and participants to Accra and said the session provided an opportunity to address issues of importance to the region.
She hailed 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.
END
