“Climate change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly”. This is the view of the United Nations.

In this edition of West Africa Insight, five authors, reflect on the ways in which climate change is (re)shaping everyday realities for many residents of West Africa and what governments are doing in response.

Saratu Abiola looks at how African countries have sought to speak with a collective voice in international forums on climate change but notes that barriers, including access to funding, continue to limit their ability to introduce innovative adaptation and mitigating strategies. Staying at the regional level, Hindou Ibrahim, outlines the role that indigenous pastoralist communities and their local knowledge of the Sahelian terrain can play in protecting natural ecosystems on which many residents rely.

Download & Read the Full Report Climate Change: Recognising the Impacts on West Africa