Climate & Environment: Reporting on the regional impact of climate change, conservation efforts, and the transition to sustainable energy solutions.
ECOWAS, the European Union and GIZ opened a two-day workshop in Abuja on September 29, 2026, to launch the Regional Energy Governance and Information System in West Africa. The project, funded by the EU with a budget of 3,000,000 million Euros and implemented by GIZ, aims to harmonise regional energy governance and strengthen the ECOWAS Energy Information System.
Research combining 70 experiments, three decades of field data from Kruger National Park and computer modelling found grass production rose 28% between 1989 and 2021 as atmospheric CO2 climbed about 18%. The growth boost came mainly from grasses using scarce water more efficiently, and the study's authors say it does not mean the extra growth offsets global warming.
Two landscape architects argue that Windhoek's climate policy is strong on paper but focused on disaster response rather than everyday adaptation, and that the city's dry, brown landscape should be treated as an asset rather than a problem. Their study proposes bioswales, contour swales, berms and drought-tolerant indigenous planting, and notes that informal settlements are growing faster than basic infrastructure can follow.
The First West Africa Regional Water Forum closed in Abidjan on 25 September 2026 with the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration on Water Security and Sustainable Development, built on five strategic pillars. Delegates approved a Regional Follow-up Committee and a specialised Negotiation Task Force, and designated Cabo Verde to host the second edition.
Research from the University of Chicago's Climate Impact Lab projects 451,000 additional heat deaths worldwide from this year's strong El Niño, with Nigeria expected to record the highest national toll at 31,400. Sudan, Niger and Chad are also among the worst-affected countries, as limited electricity access and poverty leave millions unable to protect themselves from extreme heat.
Water ministers from across West Africa adopted strategic resolutions on regional water governance at the 6th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on IWRM in Abidjan, convened under ECOWAS, WAEMU and CILSS. The decisions cover revision of the West African Water Resources Policy, operationalisation of the African Water Vision 2063 and institutionalisation of the West Africa Regional Water Forum. The outcomes will inform the First West Africa Regional Water Forum, scheduled for 24–25 September 2026 in Abidjan.
Morocco's Berm, a 2,700-kilometre wall built across Western Sahara between 1980 and 1987, still divides the disputed territory and remains one of the world's most militarised borders. Researchers writing for The Conversation say the barrier's most overlooked damage is ecological, as mines and the embankment disrupt desert watercourses and grazing routes.
Researchers surveyed 530 people involved in nature-based projects across Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and South Africa about the climate information they receive and what they still need. Most said existing services fall short, and 91 per cent want indigenous and local knowledge built into new ones. The authors argue that funding should cover the joint work of producing climate services, not just the final forecasts and tools.
African governments are developing a Common African Position on Climate, Peace and Security, the first continent-wide framework linking climate change to conflict and instability. The African Union Peace and Security Council has called on experts from member states to finalise it, preferably in the second half of 2026. Research by Gracsious Maviza and Katongo Seyuba examines how climate pressures affect peace and security and what governments must do to make the framework work.
ECOWAS convened the second Steering Committee meeting for the Regional Clean Cooking Action in West Africa in Abuja on 18 September 2026. The €17 million programme, funded by the EU and the Netherlands, aims to reach 750,000 people with clean cooking solutions. Partners reviewed technical progress and discussed national ownership, gender equity and market development.
