Coastal erosion is a naturally occurringprocess that is accelerated by human impacts. Artificialstabilization of the shoreline, the deterioration of naturalformations, the construction of infrastructure, theextraction of materials, and the proliferation of damsdeprive fragile coastal areas of important sedimentdeposits, which leads to erosion. Degradation of theshoreline reduces the natural protection of coastal areas tostorm surges, which, together with heavy precipitation,exposes low-lying areas to flooding. Given the transboundary nature of the region’s ecosystems, the potentialdownstream effects of infrastructure, and the importance ofthe coastline for all sectors, optimal solutions to reducethe risk along West Africa’s coasts can be reached onlythrough multi sectoral action and multinational cooperation.Every national and regional development plan in West Africashould take coastal risks and adaption to climate changeinto consideration.
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