Scientific objectives and research project

The West African (WA) coast is a low-lying coastal area with flourishing and functioning ecosystems with multiple ecosystem services. But growing population (where 31% WA population live in the coastal areas), and economic activities in the form of often-unplanned urbanization and over-exploitation of natural resources, coupled with climate change are putting pressure on the West African coastal ecosystems. As a result, the WA coastal areas are undergoing increasing coastal erosion, flooding, sea-level rise, and pollution leading to deaths, loss of assets, and damages to critical ecosystems and their resources. A major finding from a regional study informs about risks related to future coastal urban concentrations and associated population growth, and economic and infrastructure development in the changing climate. Therefore, the ability to anticipate and strategically plan and manage the WA coastal areas’development is crucial. To meet the urgent need to protect the WA coastal areas from climate change impacts, the West African Coastal Areas Program (WACA) was developed by the World Bank (WB). This program supports the establishment of the WA Coastal Regional Observatory (WARCO) and the WA Coastal Master Plan (SDLAO), which involves 12 countries (From Mauritania to Nigeria). These initiatives constitute an environment of institutional and policy partners that is favorable to the development of an international research project like WACA-VAR (West African Coastal Areas- mapping Vulnerability, Adaptability and Resilience in a changing climate), which has been designed in close consultation with the WB and WARCO. The objective of WACA-VAR is to provide reliable and up-to-date information, shared and made available to the different levels of decision-making in order to improve the strategic quality of decisions related to the development, occupation, and conservation of the coastal zones of WA. For this reason, the WACAVAR program is established to carry out interdisciplinary studies on a set of areas, to share methods and data within the WA scientific communities, and to develop innovative solutions adapted for West African coastal areas. In addition, it will build human capacity in coastal risk and resilience research and expertise, in West Africa, including through graduate programs in coastal management offered by selected West African universities.

IRD units involved

• Département Océans, climat et ressources (OCEANS)
• LEGOS
• MARBEC
• Département sociétés et mondialisation (SOC)
• SOURCE

Member Institutions

IRD : Institut de recherche pour le développement

UCAD : Université Cheikh Anta Diop

UAC : Université d'Abomey-Calavi

Université de Douala

UNA : Université Nangui Abrogoua

UCC : University of Cape Coast

Scientific fields

Climatologie et changement climatique

Influence sociale ; pouvoir et comportement de groupe

Targeted Sustainable Development Goal(s)

ODD13 - MESURES RELATIVES A LA LUTTE CONTRE LES CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES

ODD14 - VIE AQUATIQUE

ODD17 - PARTENARIATS POUR LA REALISATION DES OBJECTIFS