Assessing the relationships between climate change and security in West Africa

Climate change has huge implications for West African security. An increase of 3°C in temperature until the end of the century (or earlier) should interrupt and delay rainy cycles. A greater frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and floods will affect food production. Rising sea levels and salinity threaten coastal communities dependent on fishing, forcing people to migrate. The relationship between climate change, interruption of livelihoods, deepening food insecurity, social unrest and violence are increasingly noticeable in the region.

Read the latest Igarape Institute bulletin, in which Robert Muggah and Peter Schmidt analyze these complex relationships. The study highlights the relationship between climate change and security in the light of the West African case.

Read the release