Socio-economic factors, especially human development activity, major contributor to vulnerability
Shores of Cotonou, Benin, West Africa. Photo: iStock As much as 64 per cent of the coastal areas in West Africa were categorised as highly or very highly vulnerable to various pressures, including socio-economic and environmental, in a new report.
The study published in the journal Scientific Reports January 9, 2024 indicated that 17 per cent and 19 per cent of the West African coast had moderate and low to very low coastal vulnerability, respectively.
Socioeconomic factors, particularly high population growth and unsustainable human development at coastal areas, play a role bigger than geophysical variables in contributing to coastal vulnerability in the West Africa coast, the authors of the report noted.
Certain sections of West Africa's coastline are more susceptible and exposed than others, particularly those in the northwestern and Gulf of Guinea regions, they observed. According to a recent study, the combined impacts of climate change and human presence may exacerbate vulnerability in these areas in the future.
To assess the vulnerability of the West African coast, the study considered three key components: The physical vulnerability index (PVI), socioeconomic vulnerability index (SVI) and the overall coastal vulnerability index (CVI).
There are significant variations in the PVI along the West African coast, with factors such as geomorphology, coastal slope and wave energy playing pivotal roles, the analysis showed. On average, the entire coast falls within the moderate PVI category. However, high to very high PVI values were predominantly observed along the coasts of northwestern Senegal (50 per cent), southeastern Nigeria (37 per cent), northern Mauritania (65 per cent) and southeastern Guinea Bissau (64 per cent).
Approximately 64 per cent of West African coastal areas exhibit high to very high CVI values. These vulnerable regions are mainly situated along the coasts of Togo (100 per cent), central and southern Senegal (86 per cent), northern Sierra Leone (47 per cent), Nigeria (100 per cent), southern Mauritania (39 per cent), central Liberia (21 per cent), southern Guinea (45 per cent), Ghana (100 per cent), Gambia (100 per cent), Guinea Bissau (65 per cent), northwestern Cameroon (59 per cent), eastern Ivory Coast (50 per cent) and Benin (100 per cent).
West African coastal cities face a multitude of challenges, including rising sea levels, rapidly growing populations, land pressure and a shortage of affordable housing. In fact, 31 per cent of the West African population and critical infrastructure are concentrated in the coastal zone.
The increasing population of coastal communities poses a significant threat to natural barriers and ecosystems, making them more vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. Consequently, addressing the multiple causes of coastal hazards will be essential to mitigate the effects of rising seas.
To ensure sustainable coastal economic development, future plans should be based on a thorough understanding of local natural conditions, resource availability and geophysical parameters, with the goal of preventing negative transformations of coastal ecosystems.
An example of regional cooperation to address these challenges is the West African Coastal Areas Management Programme (WACA), developed by the World Bank in collaboration with coastal countries in the region. This programme targets countries seeking to enhance the management of natural and human-made risks affecting coastal communities.
One of the WACA projects is the $210 million WACA Resilience Investment Project, which aims to address coastal erosion, flooding and coastal pollution in selected target areas across six West African countries: Benin, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal and Togo.
The Space Climate Observatory (SCO) is actively studying various sites in West Africa to analyse, monitor, and adapt to the impacts of climate change, especially at the local level. They employ Earth observation tools in combination with field data and models to achieve their goals.
A notable SCO demonstration project in Senegal focuses on the Saint-Louis coastline, an area particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion and flooding, as reported in a research paper published in the journal Surveys in Geophysics on July 18, 2022.
It aims to enhance understanding and raise awareness among stakeholders about hazards and risks in coastal areas within the context of climate change. Additionally, it seeks to propose tools and indicators for assessing the vulnerability of populations and economic activities.
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