A new study warns that deforestation across Ghana, Niger and Nigeria is intensifying West Africa’s water crisis, threatening the health and livelihoods of more than 122 million people.
Drawing on 12 years of satellite data from 2013-2025, the joint report by WaterAid and Tree Aid finds a direct correlation between forest loss and the decline of both the quality and quantity of freshwater. For every 1,000 hectares of forest cleared in Niger and Nigeria, 9.25 hectares of surface water disappear, leaving communities more exposed to disease, food insecurity and dehydration.
