FACTSHEET WEST AFRICA

This factsheet summarizes the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report for West Africa, detailing how the region is warming faster than the global average. It highlights severe risks to food security, human health (specifically heat-related mortality and diarrhoeal diseases), and biodiversity. The report emphasizes that while adaptation options like ecosystem-based solutions exist, they are severely hindered by a lack of finance and critical data gaps in climate research.

• West Africa has experienced warming that exceeds the global average, with average annual and seasonal surface temperatures increasing by 1–3°C since the mid-1970s. The most significant increases have occurred in the Sahara and Sahel regions. Additionally, heatwaves have become hotter and longer, and the probability of marine heatwaves around most of Africa has doubled.
• Climate change is negatively impacting food systems in West Africa through reduced crop productivity and threats to livestock and fisheries. Maize and wheat yields in sub-Saharan Africa decreased by 5.8% and 2.3% respectively from 1974–2008. Future projections at 1.5°C global warming suggest a 9% decline in maize yields and a decline in sorghum yields. Furthermore, marine fisheries catch potential is projected to decline by more than 30% at 2°C of global warming.
• Human health in West Africa is under significant threat from rising temperatures and extreme weather. Heat-related deaths are projected to increase sharply above 1.5°C, reaching 50–180 additional deaths per 100,000 people annually at 2.5°C. There is also a projected increase of 20,000–30,000 additional diarrhoeal deaths in children under 15 by mid-century for 1.5°C to 2°C warming, with West Africa being especially affected.
• Climate change has caused substantial economic losses and GDP reductions in West African countries. Between 1991 and 2010, African countries' GDP per capita was on average 13.6% lower than it would have been without human-induced climate change. Specific infrastructure damages include US$ 850 million from rainfall/surface water flooding and US$ 555 million from riverine floods in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Togo in 2017.
• West Africa faces severe data constraints and funding inequities that hinder climate research and adaptation. From 1990–2019, Africa received only 3.8% of global climate-related research funding, with 78% of that funding going to EU and North American institutions rather than African ones. Climate literacy in West Africa is also low, averaging 37% (ranging from 25% to 49%).
• Adaptation strategies for West Africa include ecosystem-based solutions, gender-sensitive approaches, and the use of indigenous knowledge. However, the ability to implement these is constrained by a lack of finance. There is a risk of 'maladaptation' when short-term gains are prioritized over long-term impacts, such as when bioenergy production displaces subsistence farming or biodiversity-rich areas.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2022). FACTSHEET WEST AFRICA. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet%202_West%20Africa_web.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. FACTSHEET WEST AFRICA. 2022. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet%202_West%20Africa_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=FACTSHEET WEST AFRICA |date=2022 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet%202_West%20Africa_web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2022factsheet, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{FACTSHEET WEST AFRICA}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2022}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/IPCC%20Regional%20Factsheet%202_West%20Africa_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }