In West Africa, FAO indicates that the desert is moving at an annual rate of 5 km in semi-arid areas. In addition, from 1975 to 2018, about 2.2 million km2 of degraded land were recorded. This is a real threat that often leads people in rural areas to rush to urban areas because of the scarcity of arable land

Throughout the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (May 9-20, 2022) under the theme "Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity" , the ECOWAS experts will sit in several other parallel sessions and panels on various themes to learn from best practices and recommendations in terms of reducing desert encroachment, particularly in West Africa. They will also provide technical support to the States in the climate negotiations. ECOWAS will also hold press conferences on drought and mitigation measures.

The main objective of ECOWAS participation in COP 15 is to (i) ensure visibility for the actions of the ECOWAS Commission, (ii) build/strengthen working partnerships and (iii) provide technical support to States in the climate negotiations.