Local Solutions, Global Impact: Climate Adaptation in West Africa

The report examines the alignment between national climate policies and local adaptation practices in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal. It argues that while these nations have developed NDCs and adaptation plans, the effectiveness of these measures is hindered by a lack of recognition for locally-led adaptation (LLA), significant funding gaps, and weak institutional capacities. The document emphasizes that integrating indigenous knowledge and empowering local actors—particularly women—is essential for building sustainable climate resilience in West Africa.

• West African countries, specifically Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal, face severe threats to development from climate-related disasters such as droughts, floods, and coastal erosion, and they rely heavily on external financing to implement their NDCs due to limited domestic fiscal capacity.
• Locally-led adaptation (LLA) is often overlooked in planned national and global climate solutions, with local actors frequently excluded from decision-making and finance planning in favor of 'distant experts'.
• Gender inequality limits the effectiveness of LLA in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal, as societal norms and expectations restrict women's participation in leadership and decision-making despite their critical role in managing agriculture and household resources.
• A significant funding gap and a lack of evidence-based local data impede the scaling of customized adaptation solutions for agricultural and fishing communities in the region.
• There is a systemic lack of coordination between climate adaptation planning and broader sectoral development policies, which isolates local economies and leads to inefficient resource use.

APA

APRI (2024). Local Solutions, Global Impact: Climate Adaptation in West Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/local-solutions-global-impact-climate-adaptation-in-west-africa

Chicago

APRI. Local Solutions, Global Impact: Climate Adaptation in West Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/local-solutions-global-impact-climate-adaptation-in-west-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=APRI |title=Local Solutions, Global Impact: Climate Adaptation in West Africa |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=7 May 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/local-solutions-global-impact-climate-adaptation-in-west-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{apri2024local, author = {APRI}, title = {{Local Solutions, Global Impact: Climate Adaptation in West Africa}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://afripoli.org/local-solutions-global-impact-climate-adaptation-in-west-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }