Large majorities say their region has seen more intense droughts and floods during the past decade.
Key findings
- Large majorities of Nigeriens say their region has seen more intense droughts (73%) and floods (62%) during the past decade.
- More than half (58%) of citizens say they have heard of climate change. o Climate-change awareness is less prevalent among women than men (52% vs. 63%) and among respondents who lack formal schooling compared to their more educated counterparts (54% vs. 64%-65%).
- Among Nigeriens who are aware of climate change: o More than three-quarters (78%) say it is making life in Niger worse. o About eight in 10 believe that ordinary citizens can help curb climate change (78%) and that the government should take immediate action to limit climate change, even if it has negative economic consequences (82%). o Seven in 10 (71%) believe the government is primarily responsible for combating climate change, while one-fifth (20%) think the onus is on citizens. o Only tiny minorities are satisfied with existing efforts to fight climate change by the government (6%), business and industry (7%), developed countries (9%), and ordinary Nigeriens (16%).
Ranging from the Sahara Desert to semi-arid savannahs, in one of the world's hottest regions, Niger is being hit hard by climate change. Increasingly frequent disasters, such as floods and droughts, contribute to chronic food insecurity (World Bank, 2021a). Farmers in Niger are especially vulnerable to climate change. More than 80% of the country's population depend on agriculture, and unpredictable changes in the weather affect both planting and harvesting of crops (World Bank, 2021b).
The Nigerien government views climate change as a significant security issue, because it exacerbates existing environmental challenges (Kalilou, 2023). For example, farmers and pastoralists often find themselves in conflict due to forced migration and unintentional boundary trespasses driven by land loss fuelled by climate change. This ongoing tension has garnered international attention, with organisations such as USAID and Oxfam actively intervening to address the issue (Climate Diplomacy, n.d.).
The government has been active in trying to address both the causes and effects of climate change. It confronts climate threats in its national plan for the environment for sustainable development, a legal framework for environmental management, its Economic and Social Development Strategy, and risk-reduction strategies such as enhanced early warning capacities for climate disasters, among other measures (Republic of Niger, 1998; World Bank, 2023; CREWS, 2020).
As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Nigerien government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a major driver of climate change, by 11.2% by 2025 and a further 10.6% by 2030 (United Nations Development Programme, 2024). And through various projects between 2012 and 2021, the government provided thousands of small-scale farmers with drought-resistant seeds, fertilisers, and coaching to improve their farming techniques and enhance their resilience in the face of greater climate variability. The World Bank (2021b) reports that some farmers were able to increase their crop yields as a result.
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This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 survey (2022) to explore Nigeriens' experiences and perceptions of climate change.
Findings show that large majorities of Nigeriens report increasingly severe floods and droughts in their region over the past decade.
A majority of citizens are aware of climate change. Among these respondents, more than three-quarters say it is making life worse, and most say the government, citizens, developed countries, and private industry need to do more to limit climate change.
Obaloluwa Ayooluwa Aka Obaloluwa Ayooluwa Aka is a PhD student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Kentucky.
