West and Central Africa flooded despite minor role in climate change
Translations
Image of houses submerged in water in the Far North Region of Cameroon. Screenshot from the video “Report on Cameroon: The devastating impact of flooding” on the France24 YouTube channel. Fair use.
Climate change affects many African countries. Every rainy season, recurrent flooding plunges their populations into chaos, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of displaced people.
Africa’s rainy seasons typically last from May to October, with peaks in July and August. However, these seasons no longer follows the typical pattern, with rainfall becoming increasingly frequent and heavier. From July through September 2024, West and Central Africa experienced several devastating torrential downpours.
In an interview with French media outlet France 24, Aida Diongue-Niang, a climatologist and vice-president of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), explained why. According to this Senegalese expert, the magnitude of the problem is a direct consequence of increased rainfall variability due to climate change:
A domino effect leading to humanitarian disaster
Major cities are often on the water’s edge, and torrential rain and flooding can cause dams and houses to collapse. The situation is usually devastating. According to UN figures quoted by the Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency, flooding has affected some 700,000 people in these two African regions.
This France 24 report describes the situation in Chad. Since July, over 1.7 million people have been affected, and 503 have died.
On September 26, 2024, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) published a report on the devastating impact, stating:
(…) des déluges d’eau ont ravagé des régions entières, faisant plus de 1 500 victimes, affectant 4 millions de personnes et déplaçant plus de 1,2 million d'individus à travers le Burkina Faso, le Cameroun, le Tchad, la Guinée, le Mali, le Nigeria et le Niger.
(…) Floods have devastated entire regions, affecting some 4 million people, killing more than 1,500, and displacing 1.2 million others across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger.
Sylvia Ekra, the IOM regional director for West and Central Africa, stated:
Nous n’avions jamais connu d’inondations comme celles de cette année. Elles nous confrontent brutalement aux répercussions des changements climatiques, qui sont de plus en plus importantes dans notre région. Nos équipes travaillent sans relâche sur le terrain pour soutenir les communautés affectées et les autorités locales. Même si nous aidons les pays à mieux se préparer aux situations d'urgence toute l'année, l'ampleur de la situation actuelle exige un financement supplémentaire urgent pour répondre aux besoins immédiats et à plus long terme.
These floods were unprecedented. They were a brutal reminder of climate change’s increasingly profound impact on our region. Our teams work tirelessly to support the affected communities and local authorities. Although we help countries better prepare for emergencies all year round, the current situation requires additional emergency funding to meet the immediate and long-term needs.
Although climate change has already wreaked havoc on the continent’s crops, the humanitarian crisis will likely worsen in these countries. Recurrent flooding has destroyed harvests in societies where rural populations often account for over 70 percent of the general population. For example, more than 400,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed in Chad. Given such circumstances, food security is no longer guaranteed, thus depriving communities of their basic means of survival. Media outlet Tchad Info quotes the prime minister of Chad, Allah-Maye Halina, as saying:
(…) Ces inondations ont détruit déjà plus de 250.000 hectares de culture, provoqué la perte de 60.000 têtes de bétail et causé des dommages considérables sur des milliers de maisons, des écoles, des centres de santé et des infrastructures publiques.
(…) These floods have already destroyed over 250,000 hectares of crops, killed 60,000 heads of cattle, and damaged thousands of houses, schools, health centers, and public facilities.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed concern over the high number of people facing hunger and needing assistance:
Cette hausse inquiétante des besoins humanitaires survient dans un contexte de crise de la faim régionale qui touche déjà 55 millions de personnes, soit quatre fois plus qu'il y a cinq ans.
This alarming rise in humanitarian needs comes amid a regional hunger crisis already affecting 55 million people, four times more than five years ago.
In its report, the International Organization for Migration warns of potential disease risks:
En Afrique de l'Ouest et en Afrique centrale, les inondations ont exacerbé les problèmes sanitaires. La stagnation de l'eau et les mauvaises conditions sanitaires ont augmenté le risque de maladies liées à l’eau telles que le choléra, tandis que les infrastructures endommagées, telles que les routes, ont limité l'accès aux zones touchées, ce qui complique l’arrivée de l’aide humanitaire.
Floods have exacerbated health problems in West and Central Africa. Stagnant water and poor sanitation have increased the risk of water-borne diseases, such as cholera. Damaged infrastructure, such as roads, has restricted access to affected areas, thus hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Known solutions not implemented
In a BBC article, Moussa Malam Abdou, a Nigerian geographer and lecturer at the André-Salifou University in Zinder, Niger, explained the solutions to this growing problem. According to Moussa, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by regulating human behavior:
(…) Il faut tout faire pour accroître la rétention et l’infiltration des eaux à l’échelle des bassins et des aménagements intégrés, notamment des ouvrages d’écrêtement, comme les barrages de seuil et de retenu. Cela passe aussi par la restauration des sols.
Il faut éviter l’occupation des zones inondables et respecter les normes urbanistiques. Il faut aussi actualiser et respecter également les normes hydrologiques de dimensionnement des ouvrages hydrauliques.
(…) We must try to increase water retention and infiltration through basins and flood control structures, such as weirs and check dams. This is also achieved through soil restoration.
We must avoid occupying flood-prone areas and respect urban planning regulations. We must also update and comply with the hydrological design standards of hydraulic structures.
The World Food Programme also argues there should be investments in proactive measures, such as early warning systems, disaster risk financing, and social protection systems. Margot Van der Velden, the WFP regional director for West and Central Africa, stated:
Les actions anticipatoires sont une clé essentielle pour débloquer une aide humanitaire plus efficiente, plus efficace et tournée vers l'avenir. Elles peuvent sauver des vies, préserver la dignité des personnes et offrir des opportunités d'investissement financier significatives.
Proactive measures are essential in making more effective, efficient, and future-oriented humanitarian aid available. They can save lives, preserve dignity, and provide significant financial investment opportunities.
In some countries, the lack of large dams to regulate water flow rates in rainy seasons has profound implications. Despite repeated promises to build such infrastructure, this is yet to happen.
Tired of waiting, the people often make their frustration known. In a BBC interview, Aline Taryam, a Chadian student living in the Chari River region (a Central African river located between Chad, Cameroon, and Central Africa), said:
Cela fait plus d'un an que nous attendons la construction de ce barrage, mais rien. Cette année, nous allons souffrir des eaux de pluie. Quand on voit ce barrage, il ne tient même pas debout. C'est un gaspillage d'argent.
We have been waiting more than a year for this dam to be built, but nothing much has happened. This year’s rain will severely affect us. Looking at the dam, it’s no good and a waste of money.
Tensions are also high in Nigeria, another West African country affected by flooding. According to the BBC, government authorities promised to build a dam in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria, to prevent water overflows. However, nothing has materialized. A resident explained:
Le gouvernement nous avait promis un barrage, mais deux ans après le lancement du projet, rien n'a été fait.
The government promised us a dam, but two years after the project’s launch, nothing has happened.
Climate change has taken a considerable toll on Africa. Although it remains the least polluting continent, accounting for less than 5 percent of global emissions, Africa is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change.
