West Africa’s coastal nations are preparing for potential flooding from the Sahel region, where record-breaking rains recently caused devastation. Countries like Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Ghana have issued warnings after extreme weather in the Sahel killed 1,000 people and affected over 5 million across West and Central Africa. The region is now bracing for a potential double threat as the wet season brings heavier-than-usual rains.
Kiswendsida Guigma, a meteorologist from the Red Cross Crescent Climate Center, noted that flooding from the north could flow south, worsened by poor drainage systems and the ongoing heavy rains. The Sahel’s extreme weather, exacerbated by climate change, has highlighted the vulnerability of this cash-strapped region, with densely populated cities along the coast, like Lagos in Nigeria, particularly at risk.
According to data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and parts of Ghana are forecast to experience unusually heavy rains. In response, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency has placed coastal towns on high alert for potential flooding in the coming weeks. Benson Agbro, the director of disaster management at the Nigerian Red Cross, emphasized the importance of anticipatory action, as preventive measures are far more cost-effective and life-saving than reactive ones.
Local communities in Nigeria are monitoring river levels, some using traditional methods like drum beats to warn of rising waters. Emergency control centers are combining these traditional practices with scientific data to prepare for floods. The Oti River Basin in Togo is already overflowing, impacting farms and roads, while Ghana’s newspapers are publishing daily updates on the water levels of the Volta River to keep the public informed.
Further complicating the situation, deliberate water releases from dams in Mali and Burkina Faso
