The Sahel region is the area in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the more fertile region to the south often referred to as the Sudan (not to be confused with the country of the same name). The Sahel covers areas in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea. The Sahel has long been vulnerable to drought, impoverishment and food shortages, as the droughts of the mid-1970s, 1980s and 2005 have shown.

The report entitled Beyond Any Drought makes clear that people’s continued vulnerability in the Sahel region stems from a combination of political, economic and social forces, as well as the impacts of highly variable rainfall. The report, which was conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in conjunction with other NGOs, also confirms that the region is likely to suffer from higher temperatures over the next few decades.

Current predictions of changes to rainfall in the Sahel are less certain, with forecasts ranging from a drop of 20% to a 20% rise. In either case, more heat will increase evaporation from soil, rivers and lakes, and reduce the value of whatever rain does fall. For a region already suffering from poverty and drought, such predictions are unwelcome news. Finding ways to help strengthen resilience against such changes is key to helping people adapt to the challenges ahead.

• Read the full Beyond Any Drought report by clicking here
• A French language version is also available here