The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is developing a regional action plan to address population movements driven by climate change and environmental degradation, amid rising displacement linked to floods, drought, desertification and other environmental hazards across West Africa.

Director of Free Movement of Persons, Migration and Tourism at the ECOWAS Commission, Albert Siaw-Boateng, said stronger regional cooperation, evidence-based policies and investment in resilience were urgently needed to address climate-related human mobility.

He spoke at the second meeting of the Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) Thematic Working Group on Climate Change, Land Degradation, Desertification, Environment and Migration, held in Abuja.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in data from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), which recorded approximately 12.7 million internal disaster displacement movements in West Africa between 2009 and 2023.

The World Bank’s Groundswell Africa analysis also estimates that, without adequate climate and development interventions, the region could have up to 32 million internal climate migrants by 2050.

The figures underscore the growing pressure on governments to incorporate human mobility into climate adaptation, development and migration policies, particularly as environmental hazards continue to threaten livelihoods, food security and settlement patterns.

The Abuja meeting brought together representatives of ECOWAS member states and institutions, development partners and young people to identify practical areas of regional cooperation and develop a 2027–2028 work plan for the thematic working group.

The discussions focused on priorities for supporting member states in implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and developing or reviewing their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Participants also considered the feasibility of a regional Green Climate Fund project or readiness proposal to mobilise financing for initiatives addressing climate-related mobility.

Representing the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap, Comptroller Abdul Majeed Yabagi said climate-driven mobility was already affecting border movements and settlement patterns across West Africa.

He called for stronger evidence, coordinated migration and adaptation planning, and greater involvement of communities affected by environmental changes.

In a goodwill message on behalf of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Ajara Jallow said evidence on climate-related mobility should inform policymaking, investment decisions, national climate plans and proposals for climate financing.

She stressed the importance of ensuring that the meeting’s deliberations translated available evidence into practical policy and investment responses.

Similarly, representing the Embassy of Switzerland, Ojoma Ali highlighted the effects of climate change on livelihoods, food security and migration, calling for greater youth participation and practical climate action to reduce vulnerability and expand opportunities across the region.

She reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS and its member states through regional cooperation, evidence-based policymaking and resilience-building.

The Chairperson of the meeting, Commissioner of Divisional Police of Senegal, Camara Waly, also urged delegates to recognise the growing impact of climate change and environmental degradation on communities and livelihoods, emphasising regional cooperation and evidence-based dialogue.

The working group was reactivated in 2025 as part of efforts to integrate human mobility into regional climate and migration policies. Its current assignment is to translate that mandate into defined activities, with identified responsible institutions, implementation timelines and resource requirements for 2027 and 2028.

The meeting also examined next steps for regional support and the development of climate-finance proposals, reflecting ECOWAS’s efforts to incorporate population movement into its wider climate resilience and development agenda.