The ECOWAS Parliament has called on member states to strengthen the implementation and financing of climate policies to address environmental degradation, population displacement and insecurity across West Africa.
The call was contained in resolutions adopted at the end of the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament, which ended on Saturday after a week-long meeting.
Presenting the resolutions, a Guinean member of parliament, Bademba Baldé, said the deliberations focused on strengthening parliamentary leadership in tackling the interconnected challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, population displacement and insecurity.
He said discussions covered vulnerability mapping, early-warning systems, water resources, displacement governance and climate financing, with five member states, including Nigeria, presenting their national experiences.
According to Baldé, although the region has relevant strategies and institutional frameworks, effective implementation, financing and national ownership remain major challenges.
He identified quality data, vulnerability mapping and functional early-warning systems as critical tools for managing climate-related risks, while noting that limited access to climate finance was constraining project preparation and implementation.
The Parliament consequently urged member states to strengthen laws and policies on environmental protection, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable natural-resource management.
It also called for climate resilience, conflict prevention and sustainable natural-resource management to be integrated into national development plans, public budgets and land-use planning.
The lawmakers recommended stronger national systems for climate data collection, early warning and risk mapping, with climate information integrated into disaster preparedness and security responses.
They further urged member states to mobilise national, regional and international resources for climate financing and strengthen their capacity for project preparation, feasibility studies and financial structuring.
The Parliament called for greater protection and restoration of forests, mangroves, degraded lands and coastal ecosystems, alongside wider adoption of resilient agriculture, agroforestry and improved water-management practices.
It also recommended effective mechanisms to prevent and resolve conflicts linked to access to land, water and pastoral resources, as well as gradual harmonisation of national legal frameworks on environmental protection, transhumance, natural-resource management and climate-related disaster prevention.
The lawmakers proposed credible carbon-market frameworks based on transparency, integrity and verification, with equitable sharing of benefits with affected communities.
They also urged ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to consider establishing a regional fund for climate resilience and human security.
The ECOWAS Commission was tasked with developing a five-year roadmap for accelerated implementation of the regional climate strategy, including stronger early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms for climate, humanitarian and security risks.
The roadmap is also expected to strengthen regional risk mapping and climate-data systems.
The Parliament called for increased technical assistance to member states to implement the regional climate strategy, improve access to climate funds and strengthen cross-border cooperation on pastoral mobility, shared water resources, ecosystem protection and risk prevention.
It further demanded improved dissemination of climate information and early warnings to decision-makers, member states, local authorities, communities and the ECOWAS Parliament.
Technical and financial partners were also urged to support member states and regional institutions in climate adaptation, resilience-building and access to international climate-finance mechanisms.
Closing the session, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Memounatou Ibrahima, said the credibility of the institution would depend on its ability to translate its decisions into concrete actions with measurable impact on the populations it represents.
“Our region doesn’t lack strategies nor instruments. What it requires is the funding and political will to implement them and translate them into visible and tangible assets for the populations,” she said.
Ibrahima said the Parliament would continue to focus on regional priorities, including infrastructure, transport, energy, peace and security, community development and greater participation of women in politics.
She stressed that recommendations adopted by the Parliament must be followed through and assessed based on their ability to influence public policies and community action.
The resolutions are to be transmitted to the ECOWAS Commission, the Council of Ministers and Speakers of National Assemblies of member states.
