A Deepening water crisis across West Africa is endangering millions, with new research showing that 45 percent of people in Ghana, Niger and Nigeria now live in areas of high water risk. The findings come from From Roots to Rivers: How Deforestation Impacts Freshwater Access, a study released by WaterAid and Tree Aid, which warns that rapid forest loss is undermining access to clean, reliable water across the region.
The organisations report that more than 122 million people are now exposed to unsafe drinking water — a rise of 20 million in just five years — and link this surge directly to the destruction of vegetation that protects freshwater sources.
Forest loss closely tied to water decline
The study explains that forests and natural vegetation stabilise soils, filter pollutants and regulate rainfall, forming a natural buffer that keeps freshwater systems functioning. Their removal disrupts these processes, leaving rivers, lakes and reservoirs more vulnerable to sedimentation, contamination and reduced flow.
Using 12 years of satellite-based Earth Observation data between 2013 and 2025, WaterAid and Tree Aid mapped vegetation cover, rainfall and water distribution across the three countries. Researchers say this is the clearest evidence yet of a direct correlation between deforestation and freshwater decline.
In Niger and Nigeria, every 1,000 hectares of forest loss is linked to an average loss of 9.25 hectares of surface water. Nigeria shows a reduction of around 6.9 hectares for every 1,000 hectares cleared, while Niger’s loss stands at 11.6 hectares. In Ghana, the issue is primarily water quality rather than volume, with forest loss associated with worsening contamination.
Climate pressures deepen the crisis
The report warns that climate change is magnifying these pressures. Heavy rainfall, once absorbed or filtered by vegetation, now washes sediment, chemicals and waste into water bodies. Without trees to slow runoff, groundwater absorption weakens, surface water shrinks, and what remains becomes polluted.
Niger faces the most acute threat, with 99.5 percent of its surface freshwater now considered at high risk of poor quality and sedimentation. Nigeria has the largest number of vulnerable people — an estimated 85.6 million residents live in areas highly exposed to surface water loss linked to forest decline.
Ghana’s challenge is contamination. Between 2013 and 2025, it lost roughly 298,000 hectares of vegetation — equivalent to losing an area the size of Edinburgh every year. Nigeria’s 324,000 hectares of vegetation loss match the annual footprint of Birmingham. Niger, however, recorded a net gain of 101,000 hectares during the same period.
Call for integrated policy action
WaterAid and Tree Aid stress that safeguarding water security in West Africa will require governments to place forest protection at the centre of climate planning. They are urging policymakers to integrate water and forest strategies into national adaptation frameworks and boost financing for climate-resilient water services.
The organisations say vulnerable communities must be prioritised as countries design long-term plans to ensure universal access to safe, clean water.
