Soft solutions to counter coastal erosion in West Africa (WACA)

The combined impacts of the artificialisation of coastline frontages, the degradation of natural coastal ecosystems, the extraction of marine materials and the multiplication of dams and reservoirs are all aggravating the risks related to the coastline retreat seen in West Africa. However, in West Africa’s coastal states, the coastal zone is home to 30% of the total population - and 50% of the urban population. Indeed, 56% of their total GDP is found here.

To combat coastal erosion and promote the adaptation of populations, the FFEM is supporting the implementation of the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) regional programme initiated by the World Bank. The project is aimed at developing soft solutions on several pilot sites, such as planting or the use of sustainable materials in breakwater construction. It also brings together coastal observation mechanisms in order to guide public policy on the management of coastline areas.

The project comprises four components:

• Contributing to the functioning and strengthening of the West African Coastal Observation Mission (WACOM) and its partners.
• Producing data related to understanding coastal risks and capacity-building for WACOM and its partners.
• Encouraging experience-sharing and the implementing of pilot initiatives to mitigate coastal risks.
• Running communications and capitalisation activities related to the project.

• Developing knowledge of the environments and the pressures facing them, together with monitoring systems.
• Shared governance of coastal areas, by bringing together the observation mechanisms along the West African coastlines.
• Preserving ecosystems and reducing coastal artificialisation.
• Improving the resilience of regions faced with natural challenges and the impacts of climate change, through the piloting of soft coastline protection solutions.

This project is aimed at implementing soft solutions to protect the West African coastline, encouraging the emergence of innovations to combat coastal erosion in a region that as yet has little recourse to this type of solutions. It also draws from territorial prospective works informed by coastline observation: an exemplary approach helps consolidate our knowledge of this phenomenon.