The sun beats down on the cracked earth of northern Kenya. A once-thriving riverbed now lies dry; its parched surface reminds the residents of the relentless drought gripping the region. For 35-year-old Amina Ali, a mother of four, this barren landscape is no longer home.
“We had no choice,” she says, her voice heavy with resignation. “The rain stopped. The animals died. We had to leave.” speaking to ACI. Amina is one of millions of Africans forced to migrate due to climate change.
Amina fled Wajir County to escape drought and hunger, leaving behind her pastoralist way of life. In Nairobi, accustomed to rural simplicity, she had to adapt to city life, learning new skills to survive. Without formal education, she took up casual jobs, often underpaid and exhausting.
Across the continent, rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and erratic rainfall are displacing communities, upending lives, and fueling a growing crisis of climate migration. This is not a future threat. It is happening now.
The Scale of the Crisis
Africa contributes less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, it bears the brunt of climate change’s impacts. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), over 2.6 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were displaced by climate-related disasters in 2022 alone. By 2050, the World Bank estimates that 86 million Africans could be forced to migrate within their own countries due to climate change.
The Sahel region, stretching across the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, is particularly vulnerable. Temperatures here are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. In countries like Niger, Chad, and Mali, desertification is swallowing farmland, and water sources are drying up. “The land can no longer sustain us,” says Ibrahim Sade, a farmer from Niger who now lives in a makeshift camp on the outskirts of Niamey. “We are losing everything.”
Droughts, Floods, and Conflict
A UNICEF-supported water point at Bul’ad camp gets crowded as people congregate to fetch water. Photo Credit: UNICEF Ethiopia, Mulugeta Ayene, flickr
Climate migration in Africa is not a single story. It is a mosaic of crises, each shaped by local conditions. In East Africa, prolonged droughts have devastated pastoralist communities. In Somalia, over 1.4 million people have been displaced since 2021 due to the worst drought in 40 years. “We walked for days to reach the city,” says Fatima Musa, a Somali mother who now lives in a crowded camp in Mogadishu. “We left behind our animals, our homes, our lives.”
In contrast, West Africa faces increasingly severe floods. In 2022, Nigeria experienced its worst flooding in a decade, displacing 1.4 million people. The floods destroyed crops, submerged homes, and triggered outbreaks of waterborne diseases. “We lost everything in the water,” says Yusuf Adejoke, a fisherman from Bayelsa State. “Now, we have nothing.”
Climate change is also exacerbating conflict. In the Lake Chad Basin, shrinking water resources have intensified competition between farmers and herders. The region, once a thriving ecosystem, has lost 90% of its surface area since the 1960s. This environmental collapse has fueled violence, displacing over 3 million people. “The lake is disappearing,” says Aisha Kanuri, a displaced woman from northeastern Nigeria. “And with it, our hope.”
The Human Cost
Behind the statistics are real people. Families torn apart. Children pulled out of school. Elders left behind in abandoned villages. Climate migration is not just about movement. It is about loss of livelihoods, identity, and dignity.
In Kenya’s Turkana County, pastoralists who once roamed freely with their herds now crowd into urban slums. “We were proud people,” says Lokai Ereng, a former herder. “Now, we beg for food.” In South Africa, rising temperatures and water scarcity are driving rural communities to cities like Cape Town, where they face overcrowding and unemployment. “The city is not kind to us,” says Thandi Basson, a migrant from the Eastern Cape. “But what choice do we have?”
Women and children bear the heaviest burden. In displacement camps, women often face gender-based violence and limited access to healthcare. Children, deprived of education, are at risk of exploitation. “My daughters used to go to school,” says Thandi. “Now, they fetch water and look for firewood. Their future is gone.”
A Continent on the Move
Abdi Aden Omer arrives in Bul’ad camp for people displaced by severe drought. He also brought some of his children with him, leaving behind his wife and his other children. Photo Credit: UNICEF Ethiopia, Mulugeta Ayene.Flickr
Climate migration is reshaping Africa’s demographic landscape. Rural areas are emptying. Cities are swelling. By 2050, Africa’s urban population is expected to double, reaching 1.2 billion people. Many of these new urban dwellers will be climate migrants.
But cities are ill-prepared for this influx. In Lagos, Nigeria, over 70% of residents live in informal settlements with limited access to clean water and sanitation. In Nairobi, Kenya, slums like Kibera are expanding as rural migrants arrive daily. “We came here for a better life,” says John Juma, a farmer from western Kenya. “But life here is just as hard.” John abandoned farming and moved to the city for better opportunities, preferring urban life over agriculture.
The Global Response
The international community has been slow to recognize climate migration as a pressing issue. The 1951 Refugee Convention does not cover climate migrants, leaving them without legal protection. “We are not refugees,” says Amina. “But we are not at home either. We are nowhere.”
Some progress is being made. The African Union has adopted the Kampala Convention, which addresses internal displacement, including that caused by climate change. Countries like Kenya and Ethiopia are integrating climate resilience into their development plans. But these efforts are underfunded and unevenly implemented.
International organizations are also stepping up. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is working to provide shelter and support to displaced communities. The Green Climate Fund has allocated billions of dollars to help African countries adapt to climate change. But much more is needed.
Amy Pope, the Director General (DG) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the story of climate migration in Africa is a story of resilience. It is also a story of neglect. The world must act now to address the root causes of this crisis and support those already on the move. “Global emissions must be reduced. Africa cannot adapt its way out of this crisis. Wealthier nations, responsible for the bulk of emissions, must lead the way,” Pope said.
She explained that funding for climate adaptation must be increased. African countries need resources to build resilient infrastructure, restore ecosystems, and support displaced communities. Legal frameworks must be updated to protect climate migrants. The Global Compact for Migration, adopted in 2018, is a step in the right direction. But binding agreements are needed.
Pope observed that local solutions must be prioritized. African communities have long adapted to environmental challenges. Their knowledge and leadership are essential.
