UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday called for joint efforts to fight climate change in Africa's Sahel region during his meeting with Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore.

During a multi-stop visit of the region along with World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and other senior development officials, Ban met with Compaore and discussed the regional efforts to address security, humanitarian and development challenges, said Farhan Haq, Ban's acting deputy spokesperson, at a daily briefing.

Underscoring the important role of Burkina Faso in promoting peace and security in Africa's Sahel region, Ban said the country was among those "most impacted" by the changing weather patterns, urging a push for the African Union (AU) to champion this cause.

The UN chief also reiterated the organizations'solidarity with the people of Sahel region, a dividing belt with the Sahara desert to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south.

"The region has suffered too much and for too long," he said. " We are here to listen and especially to act. Our message is clear: peace and development must go hand in hand."

Burkina Faso is the third stop of Ban's trip, which also took him to Mali, Niger. Chad will be the last leg of his visit.

This is the second joint visit by the heads of the UN and the World Bank to Africa in six months. Ban and Kim traveled to the Great Lakes region in May, drawing attention to the importance of promoting both peace and development.