| Summary/Abstract |
Security in West Africa has been dominated by discourses on political violence, terrorism, illegal migration and smuggling of small arms and light weapons amongst other factors. While this paper concedes the growing focus on environmental security and the effects of climate change in the region, there has been little research on its link to organised criminal activities in the sub-continent. The narrative has been limited to migration, extreme weather conditions and food insecurity. This paper explores the link between climate change and organised crime in West Africa; specifically, in Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger and Senegal. The aim is to broaden the discourse on regional security and climate change, as such this article examines the link between climate change and its impact on regional security with a view to identify the link to organised criminal activities in West Africa. This paper argues that the effects of climate change in West Africa create and exacerbate variables that ensure the continuous existence of organised criminal networks.
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