Climate finance in West Africa

In West Africa, and particularly the Sahel, countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis are among those in the world that are most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Millions of West Africans suffer the worst consequences of the climate crisis; in recent years, climate impacts and shocks have caused significant losses in agricultural production, the main source of livelihood in the region. These impacts, coupled with the security crisis and other socio-economic and global challenges, are fuelling food and health crises, causing economic losses and increasing inequalities.

This briefing paper highlights the extremely unjust burden of adverse impacts linked to climate changethat West Africa/Sahel countries are facing and the failure of industrialized countries to deliver adequate, predictable, and fair finance to a region that is among the most severely impacted by climate change.