Prolonged droughts in the Sahel region of Africa during the late 1960s–1970s, exacerbated by overgrazing and deforestation, caused widespread famine, migration, and land degradation across countries like Mali, Niger, and Ethiopia.

West African griot traditions and modern poets like those from Senegal and Nigeria incorporated drought and resilience themes, influencing pan-African literature and ecopoetry addressing desertification and climate justice.