$400 billion climate investment plan for Sahel region

Heads of state of 17 countries in the Sahel region of Africa will hold a summit on Monday in Niamey to approve a climate investment plan worth $400 billion over 12 years, the Niger government said on Wednesday.

The "ambitious" plan for the period 2018-2030 will involve "17 nations from the Atlantic Ocean to the Horn of Africa" and will represent the "translation (into actions) of our nations' commitments through the Paris agreement on climate change", Environment Minister Almoustapha Garba told reporters.

The $400 billion (350 billion euro) plan focuses on six projects aiming to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to help people adapt to climate change, he added.

The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change aims to limit global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit).

The Sahel, home to more than 500 million people, is considered especially vulnerable to climate change.

In many parts of the region, climate shocks have resulted in recurring droughts with devastating impacts on the region's already vulnerable populations.

Regional and international leaders have linked global warming to conflicts and food insecurity in the Sahel and warned of an ecological disaster caused by diminishing water resources.