A man points at a field of newly planted mangrove seedlings.

Benin

At a Glance

The West Africa Regional Mission serves Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and The Gambia.

West Africa’s rich forest and coastal resources are increasingly at risk due to recurrent droughts, rising sea levels and deforestation with large consequences for economic development and food security. To address the region’s vulnerability to climate change and climate-related shocks, USAID is working with countries to improve the management of forests and mangroves, with the twin goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing  sequestration  and increasing the resilience of the region’s coastal communities and upland systems. Clean energy programming will provide assistance to help eliminate the main obstacles to investment in low emissions development.

Climate Projections and Impacts

Refer to the Climate Risk Profile (2018) for more information.

Climate Projections

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Increased/More Frequent Precipitation
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Decreased Rainfall in the West, Increased Rainfall in the East
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Sea Level Rise
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Increased Temperature

Key Climate Impact Areas

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Agriculture
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Ecosystems
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Energy
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Human Health
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Urban Areas
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Water

Funding & Country Climate Context


USAID Regional Climate Change Funding (2022)

Total

$7.5 Million

Adaptation

$3.5 Million

Sustainable Landscapes

$4 Million

GAIN Vulnerability

Medium

Population (2023)

14.2 Million

GHG Emissions Growth

2.95%

% Forested Area

37.80%

Average GHG Emissions Growth due to Deforestation

40.16

Refer to metadata and sources for more details.

Climate Change Information

Stories from the Area

Climate change is affecting water supplies around the world. Whether too little water in the form of prolonged and severe droughts or too much through flooding from heavy storms, extreme weather events are reducing the availability of surface water.
A group of men and women stand around a water pump, laughing and filling water vessels.