Forced to Move: Climate Migration and the Human Cost of Survival in West Africa

By Ibrahim Mohammed Ali Touré

“We used to grow millet and raise animals. But the rains stopped. Then came the wind. Then the fighting.” — Mariam, 43, internally displaced in Mali.

Across West Africa, the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat — it is a daily force pushing families out of their homes, off their land, and into precarious futures.

In Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana, entire communities are on the move, not because of war or politics alone, but because their environments have turned hostile. Fields have turned to dust. Rivers have dried up. Floods swallow coastal homes.

📍 Mopti, Mali — Displaced by Drought and Conflict

In the outskirts of Bamako, I met Mariam, a mother of six, who fled Mopti after both drought and armed conflict made survival impossible. “It wasn’t just the jihadists,” she tells me. “We couldn’t eat anymore. We had nothing left to grow. The rains betrayed us.”

She now lives in a makeshift tent, surviving on irregular aid and selling wood in the streets. Her children no longer attend school.

📍 North Ghana — Crossing Borders for Water

In Ghana’s Upper East Region, I followed a young Burkinabe refugee named Amadou, who crossed the border in search of water and peace. He walked three days to reach Bolgatanga. “The fields are gone. My father says it’s the gods, but I think it’s the sky that’s angry.”

Local authorities struggle to accommodate the increasing influx of climate migrants, leading to tension with host communities.

📍 Ada Foah, Ghana — Erosion Eating the Coast

At the estuary town of Ada Foah, where the Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean, I witnessed homes collapsing into the sea.

Kwame, a fisherman, shows me the ruins of his family home. “This was once our village square. Now it’s gone. No warning, no help.”

🧭 A Regional Crisis, Poorly Addressed

Despite the clear link between environmental degradation and human displacement, regional governments offer few coordinated solutions. International attention remains focused on political violence, while the climate dimension of West African migration remains underreported.

As climate shocks accelerate, so will the displacement. Women, children, and the poorest will continue to pay the highest price — unless adaptation, aid, and long-term planning become urgent priorities.

✍️ All photos used in this article are either original from field visits (2024–2025) or sourced from royalty-free platforms under open license (Unsplash). All interviews were conducted during reporting missions across Mali and Ghana. This article is part of a larger investigation on climate-induced migration in West Africa, supported by BAY-DAALO STUDIO B.D FILMS.

📧 Contact: ibrahimmohamedtoure5@gmail.com

Ibrahim Mohammed Ali Touré is a journalist, presenter, and filmmaker based in Ghana. He is the founder & CEO of BAY-DAALO STUDIO B.D FILMS. His work focuses on environmental justice, gender, and migration in West Africa.