Review on Climate Change and Economic Development: A Study of Selected West African Countries

This systematic review examines the relationship between climate change and economic development in four selected countries of West Africa. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique to explore qualitative research on the relationship. The search yielded over 100 articles obtained from Google Scholar, DOAJ and Elsevier. Relevant reports from World Bank, UNDP, and Google search engine were also used. These were screened for relevance, quality, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. A total of 51 highly relevant articles and reports were reviewed. The existing materials reveal that climate change poses significant threats to economic development, including impacts on agricultural productivity, water resources, human health, and infrastructure. The selected countries increased climate change impact through human-caused factors such as aerosol emissions, greenhouse gas concentrations and natural internal variability. Specifically, the Togo’s geoengineering policy implemented is to push heat/temperature back to the space, but experts warned of intensive use of the technology. Besides, specific country’s policy implications are presented. In general, policymakers should prioritise climate-resilient development strategies, invest in climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, thereby promote sustainable economic development.