A new World Bank Group report has recommended countries in the Sahel region to accelerate growth and prioritise climate adaptation to alleviate poverty and address food insecurity.
The newly released Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for the G5 Sahel region, estimates that up to 13.5 million people across the Sahel could fall into poverty due to climate change-related shocks by 2050, if urgent climate adaptation measures were not taken.
The World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Mr. Ousmane Diagana, said the Sahel region was particularly vulnerable to land degradation.
Also to experience more extreme droughts, floods, and other impacts caused by climate change.
He said three of the G5 countries, Chad, Niger, and Mali, ranked among the top seven most vulnerable countries to climate change and their ability to adapt is significantly constrained by poverty and fragility.
“Climate change is severely affecting people and undermining hard-won development gains. The analysis shows that it is deepening cycles of poverty, fragility, and vulnerability across the Sahel,” said “With the population projected to double to 160 million people over the next 20 years, Sahel countries need to accelerate growth and prioritize climate adaptation if they are to realize the demographic dividend and set the region on a sustainable inclusive growth pathway,” said Mr. Diagana.
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The report said the G5 Sahel countries altogether, contributed less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and all five countries have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
In addition, it said Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger pledged at COP26 in Glasgow to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.
The report also shows that the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and the additional estimates in the CCDR show that over US$30 billion are needed across the G5 Sahel countries for climate actions, that damages from climate change can be significantly reduced.
“There are significant opportunities for more resilient development in the Sahel,” says Clara de Sousa, World Bank Country Director for Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger.
“This diagnostic provides a roadmap to help countries scale up reforms and investments to diversify their economies in more resilient and inclusive ways. It provides pathways to re-green these economies by restoring degraded land and boosting economic opportunities for communities through programs such as the Great Green Wall Initiative,”said the World Bank Report.
It said millions of people across the region were at risk of or already experiencing food insecurity as a result of lower-than-expected agricultural production due to climatic shocks, rising insecurity, and elevated food prices, with expected further deterioration of food security crisis in the Sahel region in 2022.
The World Bank Climate and Development Report also called on countries in the Sahel to adopt effective resource management practices and increase the use of adaptive technologies, as well as social protection programmes and agricultural landscape initiatives to mitigate the impact of the food security crisis and help the agriculture sector become more climate resilient in the medium term.
It said the five countries were developing Adaptive Social Protection systems to provide regular cash transfers and services to the poorest and most vulnerable households, allowing them to cope with, and adapt to future climate-related shocks.
The report further provides policy recommendations for making development and adaptation gains in five specific sectors or areas: Institutions, Financing and Risk Mitigation, Energy, Landscapes (including water, environment, and agriculture), and Cities.
“Over the past three years, the World Bank Group has provided a record level of financial resources to the G5 Sahel countries as part of its strategy to address fragility, conflict, and violence, with $8.9 billion from the International Development Association (IDA),: said the World Bank Report.
It, however, said the climate crisis, combined with post-COVID-19 economic recovery needs, growing insecurity and food security crises, as well as the effects of the war in Ukraine on global food, fertilizer, and energy prices, require increased support from the international community.
Climate and Development Report
The World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) are new core diagnostic reports that integrate climate change and development considerations.
They will help countries prioritize the most impactful actions that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and boost adaptation while delivering on broader development goals. CCDRs build on data and rigorous research and identify main pathways to reduce GHG emissions and climate vulnerabilities, including the costs and challenges as well as benefits and opportunities from doing so.
The reports suggest concrete, priority actions to support the low-carbon, resilient transition. As public documents, CCDRs aim to inform governments, citizens, the private sector, and development partners and enable engagements with the development and climate agenda. CCDRs will feed into other core Bank Group diagnostics, country engagements, and operations, and help attract funding and direct financing for high-impact climate action.
Hauwa Abu
