Reducing West Africa's Vulnerability to Climate Impacts on Water Resources, Wetlands and Desertification

Abstract

"West Africa is among the most vulnerable regions to climate change worldwide. The often disastrous impact of climate variability and extreme events over the past thirty years is a striking illustration and a harbringer of this vulnerability. It is therefore urgent that decision makers and the general public in West Africa be fully sensitised on the climatic challenges facing the region and actions to be taken, to enhance the region's level of preparedness in order to cope with the predictable impacts of climate variability and change the associated extreme events. This document contributes to achieving this objective. This document was prepared in a participatory manner through a process of open dialogue involving various categories of stakeholders. The process started during the last quarter of 2001 and was jointly conducted by the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the West African Water Partnership (GWP-WAWP) and the West Africa Regional Office of IUCN - The World Conservation Union (IUCN-BRAO). This dialogue is part of a global process of national and regional dialogues whose establishment was decided during the second World Water Forum in 2000. The overall objective of the dialogue in West Africa is to establish a regional forum enabling stakeholders from various backgrounds to exchange views on the impacts of climate variability and change on water resources and aquatic ecosystems in West Africa. " (p. ix)