The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marked World Water Day 2025 with a urgent appeal for coordinated action to preserve glaciers and mitigate escalating climate threats across the region.
Under the theme “Glacier Preservation,” the bloc emphasized the critical role of glacial meltwater in sustaining ecosystems, agriculture, and energy production, while warning of dire consequences if global carbon emissions remain unchecked.
In a statement issued by its Water Resources Management Center (WRMC), ECOWAS highlighted West Africa’s acute vulnerability to climate change, citing data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall have intensified droughts, floods, and food insecurity, with catastrophic floods in 2024 displacing thousands and crippling livelihoods. The Sahel, already grappling with desertification, faces further strain as glacier retreat disrupts freshwater supplies critical for drinking and irrigation.
ECOWAS pointed to longstanding regional frameworks, including its 2008 West African Water Resources Policy (WAWRP) and 2005 Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), which integrate disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. These efforts have been bolstered by initiatives like the Development, Resilience and Enhancement of Transboundary Water Resources in West Africa (DREVE) program—a World Bank-backed project aimed at managing hydro-climatic risks and strengthening cross-border water governance.
Yet challenges persist. Despite progress in early-warning systems and national resilience strategies, funding gaps and bureaucratic delays hamper implementation. Less than half of ECOWAS member states have fully operationalized climate adaptation plans, leaving communities exposed to recurrent disasters.
The bloc underscored the need for rapid technological adoption, including advanced water cycle monitoring and infrastructure to buffer against flooding. It also urged governments to prioritize glacier preservation through stricter emissions policies and regional cooperation. “Glaciers are not just frozen reservoirs—they are lifelines,” the statement read. “Their loss would destabilize ecosystems and economies far beyond West Africa.”
ECOWAS reaffirmed partnerships with organizations like the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Permanent Interstates Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) to scale up the DREVE program. The initiative seeks to harmonize water management across borders, leveraging data-driven solutions to predict droughts and allocate resources equitably.
As World Water Day concluded, ECOWAS called for renewed political will to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation for all by 2030), stressing that regional stability hinges on immediate action. “The climate crisis spares no one,” the statement concluded. “Together, we must value water to transform West Africa—before it’s too late.”
