Coastal West Africa is grappling with a severe and deadly rainy season, with Côte d’Ivoire reporting 59 fatalities since May. The country's communication minister, Amadou Coulibaly, informed a cabinet meeting in Abidjan that the death toll could rise further as rescue teams continue to search for victims during the season, which typically runs until July.
The devastating floods are not isolated to Côte d’Ivoire. In neighbouring Ghana, at least 13 people have died, and more than 400 individuals were rescued on Tuesday, according to the Ghana fire service. President John Mahama stated on social media platform X that the recent downpour delivered approximately 140mm of rain, a substantial increase compared to last year's highest single-day rainfall of around 56mm.
Authorities across the region attribute the escalating deadliness of these floods to a combination of factors. Climate breakdown is exacerbating the frequency and impact of extreme weather events, making nations like those in West Africa particularly vulnerable despite their minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, as highlighted by the World Meteorological Organisation. However, the challenges are compounded by rapid urbanisation and inadequate waste management, which strain existing infrastructure.
President Mahama, following an aerial assessment of affected areas in Accra, explained that the city's location between the Akwapim mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, once manageable for a smaller population, now poses significant issues. He noted that expanding urban development restricts the natural paths of streams towards the ocean, while human behaviour, such as dumping refuse in drains and illicit waste disposal in wetlands, further obstructs water flow.
Beyond Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, floods have also affected parts of Benin, Togo, and Nigeria. In Lagos, Nigeria, operations at a transmission substation were halted due to flooding, disrupting electricity supply to several neighbourhoods. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted 'above normal' rainfall for Abuja and nine states this year, including some in the north that experienced their worst floods in 60 years last year, indicating a persistent and widespread threat across the region.