ECOWAS warns 32m could be displaced by climate crisis

ECOWAS warns that 32 million West Africans risk displacement from the climate crisis and requires about $294 billion to tackle the challenge.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says about 32 million community citizens currently risk displacement due to the climate crisis, which requires about 294 billion dollars to tackle. Dr Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, disclosed this at a regional workshop to validate the framework for the establishment of a West African carbon market platform.

Sylla, represented by ECOWAS Director, Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Christophe Deguénon, warned that the devastating impact of climate change could force millions of West African people into internal displacement. He explained that the validation initiative was designed to address the region’s limited participation in international carbon markets, despite its significant potential to generate high-integrity environmental and social carbon credits.

The commissioner noted that West Africa remained highly vulnerable to climate change, with temperatures projected to rise by between one-and-a-half and three degrees Celsius by 2050. He said regulatory gaps, inadequate technical capacity, tracking systems, and certification mechanisms, however, continued to limit the region’s ability to benefit from international carbon markets.

The numbers are staggering: 32 million people at risk of displacement, $294 billion needed. For Nigeria, the most populous country in the region, the threat is existential. The carbon market platform is an attempt to turn the crisis into an opportunity, but its success will depend on implementation and international cooperation.

This echoes the 2022 climate warnings for West Africa, which also projected significant displacement. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a region facing an existential threat.

The winners: none. The losers: the 32 million people at risk of displacement, and the West African governments, which must act to prevent the crisis.

Bottom Line: ECOWAS warns 32 million could be displaced by climate change. The region needs $294 billion to tackle the crisis. The question is whether the international community will help or watch.