By Woke Joshua
Climate experts have called for stronger regional cooperation and investment in climate adaptation as the Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and its Second Seminar opened in Accra, Ghana.
The experts warned that rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, drought, flooding, sea-level rise and land degradation were increasingly threatening livelihoods, infrastructure and regional stability across West Africa.
The seminar, with the theme, “Climate Change as a Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region,” is examining the growing environmental and socio-economic consequences of climate change in the region.
Opening the proceedings, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, welcomed parliamentarians and other participants to Accra, describing the gathering as an opportunity for delegates to deliberate on critical issues confronting the region.
The Speaker also recalled Ghana’s Founder’s Day, which coincides with the birth of the country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
She highlighted Nkrumah’s vision of a free and united Africa capable of determining its own destiny and urged participants to honour his legacy. A minute of silence was observed in his honour.
In a presentation on climate change risks, vulnerabilities and implications for regional stability, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change and Ozone Directorate of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority, Dr Derek Sarfo-Yiadom, said climate hazards were already affecting communities across West Africa.
“Climate hazards are with us,” he said, citing extreme heat, drought, heavy and unpredictable rainfall, rising sea levels and other weather-related events as major concerns.
Sarfo-Yiadom explained that climate hazards become disasters when affected communities lack the capacity and resources to cope with them.
He said seasonal temperatures had increased by between one and three degrees Celsius since 1970, contributing to more intense heatwaves and unpredictable weather patterns.
According to him, changing rainfall patterns were also heightening flood risks, while drought and extreme heat were placing additional pressure on agriculture and livelihoods.
He identified farmers, low-income communities, coastal settlements and displaced populations as particularly vulnerable to climate impacts.
The expert also identified homes, irrigation systems, electricity infrastructure, transport networks, ports, markets and public services among sectors increasingly exposed to climate-related risks.
Sarfo-Yiadom stressed that climate change should not be viewed solely as an environmental issue, noting its wider social and economic implications.
He said climate pressures could worsen displacement and conflict, particularly in communities heavily dependent on agriculture and natural resources.
He called for increased investment in climate adaptation, flood-proof zoning and climate-risk mapping, while urging governments to ensure that early-warning systems reach vulnerable communities.
He also advocated greater accountability in the management of climate-related public expenditure.
In a separate presentation on the ECOWAS regulatory and institutional framework, Principal Officer, Climate Change and Climate Services at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Raoul Kouame, called for stronger coordination to translate regional climate commitments into concrete action.
“The challenge is no longer just to define climate commitments,” Kouame said.
He identified institutional fragmentation, differences in national capacities and limited access to climate finance as some of the challenges slowing climate action across the region.
Kouame urged ECOWAS member states to strengthen coordination between regional and national institutions and promote greater exchange of experience and technical expertise.
He also called for mechanisms to link national climate frameworks with 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.
He said ECOWAS should strengthen the region’s ability to access available climate funds while developing innovative financing mechanisms to support implementation.
Also speaking, climate, water and meteorology expert with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Dr Abdou Ali, stressed the need for coordinated regional action against climate and resource pressures.
Ali said climate risks such as drought, land degradation and food insecurity transcended national borders and therefore required countries to share climate information, data, technical expertise and services.
He identified agriculture, coastal areas, biodiversity, disaster risk management and human displacement as key areas requiring coordinated adaptation measures.
He further advocated the integration of climate action into policies covering agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, industrialisation and waste management.
The expert said regional strategies would only produce sustainable results if backed by adequate financing, stronger institutions and effective implementation mechanisms.
The presentations broadly underscored the need for West African countries to strengthen climate adaptation and regional cooperation while ensuring that interventions reflect the needs and livelihoods of affected communities.