24/10 • NIGER

Since, June 339 people have died and more than 1.1 million people have been displaced due to ongoing flooding in Niger. Critical resources, cultural sites, and schools have all been continually damaged by the intensified rain season, as heavier and more erratic rainfall becomes more and more common.

As global temperatures rise, evaporation rates increase, leading to heavier storms. Deforestation, poor urban planning, and inadequate water management have further worsened flood impacts, particularly in low-lying areas. Normally lasting from June to September, Niger's rainy season often exacts a heavy toll, with 195 people dying in 2022. Some areas of the country recorded up to 200 percent more rain than in previous years.

The flooding demonstrates how climate change disproportionately affects poorer and developing nations. Like many economically fragile countries, Niger simply does not have the financial means to implement climate-resilient infrastructure, especially when survival and subsistence become a priority by necessity. Vicious flood destruction leads to a worsening cycle of food, water and supply shortages. All sorts of communities, but particularly rural ones face the routine risk of losing homes, crops, and livelihoods. 

There's an urgent need for global action on climate change mitigation; that action must be tempered by compassion for those who bear the consequences of decisions very often made by the developed world. Wealthy nations contribute the most to global carbon emissions, it's often underdeveloped countries like Niger that bear the consequences of the inevitable rise in temperatures.

Ultimately, addressing climate change equitably requires wealthier nations to take responsibility by supporting poorer countries like Niger, ensuring they can adapt to the intensifying challenges posed by global warming.