The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel () is a political mission managed by the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). UNOWAS was established in 2002 following a request to the Security Council by the UN Secretary general, the late Kofi Annan. Its original has changed over time to reflect the needs of the region and was last extended in 2026.Mr. Leonardo Santos Sim?o is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of UNOWAS.
Although West Africa possesses significant natural resources and wealth, it is characterized by increasing climate stressors, driven by rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and desertification. Temperatures in the Sahel are rising approximately 1.5 times faster than the global average, further exacerbating existing challenges such as drought and desertification. Already, 80% of agricultural land in the Sahel belt is affected by climate change, significantly impacting food production and the livelihoods of local communities.
At the same time, the region continues to face armed conflict and intercommunal violence. Various extremist groups contribute to persistent insecurity and instability.
Illustrative examples from the region include:
? Increased exposure of women and girls to gender-based violence due to longer distances travelled to access water as traditional water points dry up;
? Climate-induced changes in river courses that serve as natural borders, generating intercommunal tensions and, at times, escalating into interstate disputes;
? The growing frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, and land degradation, which prevent recovery between shocks, fuel grievances toward local and national authorities, and heighten the risk of violence;
? Pressures on transhumance systems, where reduced water and grazing land intensify farmer–herder conflicts, facilitate arms trafficking, and, in some contexts, enable exploitation of natural resources by non-state armed groups.
The Climate, Peace and Security Advisor
Since 2022, UNOWAS, through the generous support of South Korea, appointed a Climate, Peace and Security Advisor (CPSA) to UNOWAS. Since 2025, Tanya Merceron is the dedicated CPSA of West Africa and the Sahel and is supported by Esther Minguemadje Marner as an Associate Expert, generously supported by Germany.
Rationale
UNOWAS takes into consideration the adverse implications of ecological changes and natural disasters, including through floods, drought, desertification, and land degradation, as well as their exacerbating effects on food security and on other humanitarian, social and economic challenges, which impact the security and stability of West Africa and the Sahel region including by assisting the Governments of the region and the United Nations system in undertaking risk assessments and risk management strategies relating to those factors.
Our work on Climate, Peace and Security
The goal of the Climate, Peace and Security (CPS) Unit within UNOWAS is to advance an integrated strategy aligned with the CSM and rooted in the regions operational and institutional needs. Its work is structured across four strategic pillars:
(I) risk analysis and early warning systems to support anticipatory action across the UN system;
(II) a one-mission approach and inter-agency coordination on CPS;
(III) supporting climate-informed decision making across national and sub-national levels;
(IV) capacity building and institutionalization by strengthening long-term systems and skills so that climate, peace and security becomes embedded across peacekeeping and national institutions.
Strategic engagement
The 2022 Dakar Call to Action on Climate, Peace and Security highlights the need to address climate-related security risks through stronger natural resource governance, conflict prevention, and regional cooperation. Recognizing growing tensions over land and water as key drivers of instability, it promotes integrated approaches that build resilience, strengthen social cohesion, and sustain peace across West Africa and the Sahel
Based on Dakar’s Call to Action on Climate Peace and Security launched to galvanize regional commitment (2022), UNOWAS strategic engagement focuses currently on the Farmer and Herder Conflict and Water Diplomacy.
UN Water Conference 2026
UNOWAS is strengthening its engagement on water diplomacy as a key instrument for conflict prevention, regional cooperation, and climate security. Building on the Dakar Call to Action, the N'djamena Declaration and the Declaration of Abidjan und Abuja, UNOWAS works closely with river basin organizations to promote transboundary water cooperation, support dialogue among riparian States, and advance integrated approaches linking water governance, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.
As part of these efforts, UNOWAS is co-organizing three side events during the Conference. These events will showcase practical experiences and partnerships that demonstrate how water diplomacy can contribute to peace, resilience, and regional integration across West Africa and the Sahel.
Event ID75 led by the Gambia River Basin Development Organization (OMVG) on “Enhancing Peace, Security and Development in West Africa and the Sahel through Transboundary Water Cooperation”
(please find more information in the Concept note under Publications)
Event ID234 led by the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) on “Beyond Political Challenges: Water Diplomacy with Transboundary River Basin Organizations to Foster Cooperation and Integration for Peace and Stability in West and Central Africa”
(please find more information in the Concept note under Publications)
Event ID241 led by the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) on “Anticipating Risks and Building Resilience: The Role of Data and Water Diplomacy in Preventing Climate-Related Insecurity in the Sahel”
(please find more information in the Concept note under Publications)
