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. In Niger 99.5% of freshwater is already of poor quality and at risk of being unsafe to drink directly, according to the report. Deforestation is making that dire situation worse, as forests would effectively filter sediments and pollution. “Trees and water are the essence of life in West Africa’s forest communities and around the world. Trees draw water into the earth, enrich soil for farmers, and shield land from floods. But as forests fall, water is vanishing at a ruthless rate,” Abdul-Nashiru Mohammed, WaterAid’s regional director for West Africa, said in a statement. In the same statement, Ghanaian scientists Justine Kojo and Thomas Burns Botchwey, who contributed to the study, said their data reveal a “dangerous new reality” in which deforestation and climate change reinforce one another. “What looks like more water on the surface is often a sign of flooding, runoff, and pollution beneath,” they noted, citing surveys showing that 93% of Ghanaians fear for their future because of…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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