Flooding has devastated cities and towns across west and central Africa in recent days, killing more than 1,000 people and destroying hundreds of thousands of homes.

In Nigeria and in most of the region, the floods are hitting communities already racked by conflict, displacement and poverty. Even worse flooding is forecast for later in the year.

Although Africa produces only a fraction of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, Africans bear a heavy burden from climate change, according to the World Meteorological Organization.