Comoros: Comorians Say Climate Change Is Making Life Worse, Call for Urgent Action

30 March 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Anne Okello

Majorities call for greater investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and renewable energy.

Key findings

  • About half of Comorians say that drought (48%) and crop failure (48%) have become more prevalent in their area over the past 10 years.
  • Increasingly severe droughts are most commonly reported on Anjouan (61%). Worsened crop failure is more frequently reported on Mohéli (67%) and Anjouan (58%) than on Grande Comore (37%).
  • Many citizens report having to adjust their lives in response to changing weather patterns, including using less water or changing water sources (41%), reducing or rescheduling outdoor work (38%), changing the crops they plant or the foods they eat (32%), moving to a different place (30%), and reducing their livestock holdings or changing grazing patterns (28% of those who have livestock).
  • Residents of Anjouan and Mohéli are more likely to say they have made these adaptations than those on Grande Comore.
  • A modest majority (55%) of Comorians say they have heard of climate change.
  • Among those who are aware of climate change: o About six in 10 (59%) say it is making life in Comoros worse. o A majority (63%) identify human activity as the main cause of climate change, while 28% blame natural processes. o Three-fourths (75%) say it is important for the Comorian government to take urgent action to limit climate change, even if it is expensive or causes some job losses. o More than eight in 10 say that rich countries should take immediate steps to limit climate change (85%) and that they have an obligation to help Comoros to cover the costs of adapting and responding to the negative impacts of climate change (84%).
  • Among all respondents, strong majorities express support for a variety of policies the government could adopt to respond to changes in climate, including placing pressure on developed countries for aid (83%), investing in climate-resilient infrastructure (83%), and investing in wind and solar technologies (80%).
  • Two-thirds favour promoting electric taxis and buses (66%), requiring cookstoves to use cleaner fuels (66%), and banning tree cutting for firewood or charcoal (66%).

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Comoros, a volcanic archipelago of three islands in the Indian Ocean, is highly vulnerable to climate change and environmental risks. More than half (54%) of the country's population resides in areas prone to natural disasters, including flooding and cyclones. Many of these settlements are concentrated along the country's coastline, where at least 45% of sandy beaches have been lost to erosion in just 10 years. By 2050, a projected 20-centimeter rise in sea level could potentially displace 10% of the population (Klöck, 2023; World Bank, 2019; Union of Comoros, 2016).

In December 2024, Cyclone Chido struck the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli, destroying 218 houses and displacing 171 people (International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies, 2025). The impact of Cyclone Kenneth in April 2019 was even more devastating: It caused at least six fatalities, damaged more than 10,800 houses, and led to the loss of 63% of food crops and 1,620 livestock (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2019; World Bank, 2019).

Over the years, Comoros' rainy season has become shorter and more unpredictable - a particular problem for the 80% of rural residents who rely on rainfed agriculture (United Nations Development Programme, 2022). At the same time, the country is experiencing accelerated soil erosion due to deforestation, driven by land clearing for agriculture and by wood burning for ylang-ylang extraction. Many rivers in Comoros have dried up: In Anjouan, fewer than 10 of the island's 50 rivers flow all year round (World Bank, 2019; Salm Reifferscheidt, 2021).

The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index ranks Comoros 29th globally in vulnerability to climate change and 163rd in climate readiness (ND-GAIN, 2023). The country's Nationally Determined Contribution to fighting climate change estimates an annual requirement of at least €130 million to effectively mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. However, financial constraints, along with technical deficits and knowledge gaps, hinder the archipelago's capacity to meet its climate commitment (Union of Comoros, 2021; Green Climate Fund, 2022).

A special question module in Afrobarometer's Round 10 survey (2025) explores Comorians' experiences, awareness, and attitudes related to climate change. Findings show that about half of citizens report increased severity of drought and crop failure in their region. Many report having to adapt to changing weather patterns by adjusting their water use, reducing or rescheduling outdoor work, and altering the crops they plant or the foods they eat.

More than half of citizens have heard about climate change. Among them, majorities say it is making life worse and blame human activity for the changing weather patterns. At least three-fourths say that the Comorian government must take urgent action to limit climate change and that rich countries should help fund the country's response.

Among all citizens, clear majorities support a range of potential policy responses to changing weather conditions, including pressuring developed countries to provide climate aid, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and renewable technologies, promoting electric vehicles for public transport, requiring cleaner cookstoves, and banning the cutting of trees for firewood or charcoal.

Anne Okello Anne is the assistant project manager for East Africa

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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