In the face of rapid urbanization in West Africa, most of its one billion people depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture and other natural resources directly affected by the vagaries of nature. The growing frequency and severity of extreme events such as droughts, floods, and heat waves, along with shifting rainfall patterns, threaten to overwhelm the natural resilience of West African communities, risking livelihoods and food security. Widespread poverty, fragile ecosystems, weak institutions, uncoordinated policy frameworks and fragmented climate information systems increase West Africa’s vulnerability to climate change.