Introduction to Benin

Benin is a narrow West African country, bordering Nigeria to the east and Togo to the west. Its population of nearly 14 million1 is about 50.5% rural.2 Benin has a tropical climate, characterized by warm temperatures year-round. Geographically, Benin is notable for its coastal areas, which are vulnerable to sea level rise and erosion, and its northern savannah regions, which are prone to drought. The economy of Benin is largely driven by agriculture, which employs nearly 70% of the population and generates 30%3 of its GDP of nearly $20 billion USD.4 The country's dependence on subsistence agriculture highlights its limited infrastructure, and its underdeveloped socioeconomic state renders it acutely vulnerable to climate impacts. A significant portion of Benin’s population and the largest city are situated along the coast, with nearly 3 million people living in the coastal area surrounding the capital city of Cotonou. The coastal location is crucial for Cotonou's economy –its landmark port is one of the largest in West Africa, essential to many of the region’s landlocked states– however, this region is highly susceptible to rising sea levels, posing potentially catastrophic threats to the economy and population. Ongoing coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and degradation of the soil statewide due to high cultivation of cotton (which represents approximately 40% of the GDP and 80% of the export earnings), have already begun to have severe consequences on the health and well-being of the already destabilized Beninese populace.5

Mapping Major Climate Events and Climate-Induced Displacement

Benin has one of the lowest per capita emissions globally, contributing 0.05 percent to the world's total GHG emissions and ranking 149th out of 188 countries in terms of per capita emissions. In 2021, Benin's GHG emissions were only 5 percent of those in South Africa, making it the second lowest emitter among the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) nations.6  Despite this, Benin remains highly susceptible to the effects of climate change, ranking 23rd in vulnerability and among the lowest countries in climate readiness at 133rd out of 182 countries in the 2021 ND-GAIN Index.7 Under current policies, by 2070 Benin is expected to have among the greatest exposure to the extreme temperatures by percentage of landmass, with 98 percent of its territory expected to be impacted.8 Over the past decades, Benin has experienced significant frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters, including floods, droughts, and wildfires, internally displacing thousands with limited resources and infrastructure to respond to such events. Between 2008 and 2012, Benin experienced over 475,000 displacements from floods alone, and over 71,000 flood-induced displacements between 2012 and 2023, with an additional 5,500 displacements brought on by drought-related wildfires.9 Extreme rainfall in September 2022 impacted 71,270 people and 1,328 households were rendered homeless alongside extreme damage to over 60 primary schools and colleges.10 The combination of such climate impacts and socioeconomic vulnerabilities exacerbates the displacement crisis in the region.

Mapping the Costs of the Climate Crisis

Over the past four decades, Benin has endured numerous severe climate events, resulting in significant loss of life, livelihoods, and homes. The economic repercussions of these events have been substantial. For instance, the devastating floods that struck Benin in 2019 caused damages estimated at approximately 85 million USD.11 Rural communities and sectors such as agriculture and fishing are particularly affected, facing food and labor insecurity due to land degradation attributed to extreme flooding and drought events. The annual cost of land degradation in Benin is estimated at 490 million USD, nearly 3% of its GDP.12 Coastal erosion has also entailed steep economic costs, estimated at $229 million per year.13 Without substantial adaptation efforts, estimates indicate that average annual losses due to extreme climate events could escalate to as much as 19 percent of GDP by 2050.14

Mapping Resilience and Mitigation Pathways

Despite its low greenhouse gas emissions, Benin has demonstrated commitment to international climate action. Its NDC sets a target of reducing GHG emissions by 20 percent by 2030 compared to business as usual.15 In March 2019, the Beninese government launched three vulnerability assessments on agriculture, water resources, and health to provide data-driven information and support needed for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts nationwide.16  Since 1985, Benin has demonstrated its commitment to combating deforestation through National Tree Day, during which thousands of trees are planted,  and workshops are organized in towns and villages to introduce new agricultural adaptation techniques each year.17  Further, for over a decade there has been wide-spread effort to develop early warning systems for climate events, such as the PSL Eau project. This initiative introduced colored beacons and a linked mobile application in the Lower Ouémé Valley to enable people to send in and share early warnings. The number of people expressing knowledge of early-warning systems peaked at over 60% in 2021, compared to 6.5% in 2019 at the start of the project.18  Progress has been made in many areas, but overall, implementation faces challenges due to limited resources and institutional capacity.

Necessary Changes

Benin has already begun to establish key resilience and mitigation pathways, and there exists significant social and political will, demonstrated by the country’s commitments to international and local climate frameworks. However, it is necessary for the country and the international community to pivot towards more effective implementation and funding of planned projects, which are constantly at risk due to corruption,19 overwhelming debt (53.8% of GDP in 202320 ) and ineffective global financing. This can be exemplified by the IMF loans issued to Benin from 2020-2023, which included a key stipulation that removed tax exemption from essential goods (such as water, electricity, and imported rice), exacerbating financial burdens on vulnerable populations.21 These measures, coupled with chronic underfunding, are often predatory and negatively impact Benin’s ability to respond to the climate crisis, as weakened social protection reduces the resilience of communities to climate-related challenges. To mitigate these risks, clearly defined social, environmental, and anti-corruption safeguards must be integrated into climate project activities, and national political activity at-large. These safeguards should align with international obligations, including human rights and the 2030 Agenda, while also aligning with Benin’s local environmental, social ,and cultural context. These reforms ought to diverge from the predatory loan cycle that has financially debilitated the Beninese economy.  It is also critical to acknowledge that many corruption issues in Benin, and in other former French colonies in Africa, stem from the country’s past and present relationship to France. Despite Benin’s constitutional protections—such as an independent constitutional council and limits on the President’s powers over constitutional amendments—the national government continues to mirror elements of its colonial past by exploiting the nation’s resources and treating public funds meant for climate and social action as political gifts as opposed to investments that the Beninese populace is entitled to.22 Through a collaborative and politically transparent approach, Benin's progress in climate resilience and sustainability can be sustained and expanded.