Climate Change Could Force 32 Million West Africans to Move by 2050, ECOWAS Warns
Climate change and environmental degradation could force up to 32 million people in West Africa to move within their countries by 2050, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has warned.
ECOWAS Commission President Birame Diop issued the warning at a parliamentary seminar in Accra, Ghana, focused on the links between climate change, environmental degradation, population displacement and insecurity.
The projection is based on World Bank modelling cited in ECOWAS’s regional climate strategy. It refers primarily to internal climate migration, rather than people becoming refugees in other countries. The World Bank says water scarcity, declining agricultural and ecosystem productivity, rising sea levels and storm surges could drive the movement.
ECOWAS said women and children could account for about 80% of those affected. It also reported that about two million West Africans were displaced by climate-related disasters in 2024, while more than seven million people were affected by flooding that year.
The regional bloc estimates that West Africa will require about $294 billion to address the effects of climate change and is calling for stronger climate financing, early-warning systems and investment in resilient livelihoods.
The World Bank has stressed that the 32 million projection is not inevitable. Its modelling indicates that effective climate and development measures could reduce projected internal climate migration in the region by about 60%.
ECOWAS is therefore urging governments to treat climate change not only as an environmental issue but also as a development, humanitarian and security challenge, with greater investment in adaptation and resilience before displacement occurs.
