Taking Stock of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise across the West African Coast

Abstract

The impact of climate induced sea level rise (SLR) is a major threat, likely to continue even if greenhouse gas concentrations were stabilized. SLR will not be geographically uniform. Developing countries are most impacted because of their low adaptive capacity. This study reviewed the most recent scientific evidence of the impact, vulnerability and adaptation of coastal areas in West Africa to climate induced SLR. The results show an increasing rate in SLR for the near and further future. Coastal communities in West Africa are vulnerable to erosion, flooding and inundation resulting in the loss of many coastal lands and ensuing socio-economic consequences. Therefore adaptation is a matter of urgency. Given that relatively little and unbalanced information exists on this subject for those areas, we call for the need to invest resources into studying and protecting coastal communities in West Africa against current and future impacts of climate change and SLR.