Climate Sense

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Coastal erosion and the Adaptation to Climate

Change in Coastal zones of West Africa project

Dr Isabelle Niang, Regional Coordinator of the Adaptation to Climate Change in Coastal zones of West Africa project,

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization/BREDA, Dakar

oastal erosion is a major problem for Africa and was

recently the subject of a continental conference initiated by

the President of Senegal, His Excellency Abdoulaye Wade.

In northwest Africa, the coasts are economically important since

a large part of the gross domestic product (GDP) is derived from

coastal activities such as fishing, tourism and commerce. This is

one reason why populations are concentrated along the coastline,

with a rate of urbanization slightly higher than the interiors. As a

result, many capitals and major towns are coastal.

Along the northwest coast of Africa average rates of coastal retreat

are between one and two metres per year. However, more serious

rates of up to hundreds of metres per year have been observed

locally, especially when the process has been created by human

activities. Coastal erosion has devastating effects, inducing the loss

of infrastructure such as roads. It also threatens populations, who

can no longer live close to the coastline.

Coastal erosion is expected to increase due to climate change and

sea-level rise. This will bring other problems such as salinization of

water and soils, degradation of ecosystems and flooding. Such predic-

tions were reiterated in the fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) report. Moreover, recent studies indicate that sea level

observations are already higher than the maximum limit

of IPCC projections. This means that we can expect more

than the one-metre sea-level rise projected for 2100, a fact

that the rapid melting of the Greenland ice sheet, as well

as strong indications that the western part of the Antarctic

ice sheet is also melting, strongly support.

Whatever the dispute about the rates and amounts

of sea-level rise, it is evident that coastal populations

and ecosystems will need to adapt to these changes.

For human beings only three options are available

to combat coastal erosion: retreat, accommodate or

protect. A very limited number of studies – conducted

mainly during preparation of the Initial National

Communications from Parties not included in Annex

I of the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC) – indicate that the costs

of adaptation are likely to be lower than the impacts

costs of doing nothing. However, the cost of adaptation

is already considered to represent between 5 and 10

per cent of the GDP of affected countries, which is a

significant sum, especially for the economies of the least

developed countries. This debate is by no means over,

since all the elements that could allow a significant cost-

benefit analysis are not yet available. A limited number

of adaptation options (mainly sea walls) were evalu-

ated but indirect costs (expertise, manpower, technical

help) have not been considered. Even the retreat option

would have a cost – both economically and socially.

As was stated at the last African Ministerial

Conference on the Environment in Nairobi, adaptation

is a high priority for Africa. Indeed any post-2012 agree-

ment at the UNFCCC 15th Conference of Parties (to be

held in Copenhagen in December 2009) should include

a discussion of adaptation, along with concrete actions

to support any resolutions made.

The Adaptation to Climate Change in Coastal zones

of West Africa (ACCC) project is a tentative response to

the problem of coastal erosion. The Global Environment

Facility project focuses on three main areas of concern:

coastal erosion, biodiversity and climate change. It oper-

ates on a sub-regional level and involves five countries:

Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Cape

Verde. National components will develop pilot activities

in selected sites – one per country – with the aim of

reducing the threat of coastal erosion, while increas-

daptation

and

itigation

trategies

Image: Fernando Jorge Frederico

Sensitization for scholars in Maio island (Cape Verde)