The French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) has made the resilience of aquatic and coastal ecosystems one of its priority areas of intervention. In Senegal, Togo
The first activity report of the WACA FFEM project (April 2020) reports on the activities of the first year of project implementation (March 2019-February 2020),
PROJECT MANAGER
> Moussa SALL
Ecological Monitoring Centre (Senegal)
> Issa SAKHO
Senior lecturer at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Thiès, Senegal
> Dieudonné ADJOUSSI
University of Lomé, Togo
MONITORING COASTAL RISKS AND SOFT SOLUTIONS IN BENIN, SENEGAL AND TOGO
Demonstrating that soft solutions are appropriate for mitigating and adapting to coastal risks. The project, in collaboration with the WACA program from the World Bank, combines targeted capacity-building for key actors in coastal risk management with field activities that have proven their effectiveness. Soft solutions for coastal protection will be implemented at pilot sites, showcasing French expertise., developped together
Components
1. Support for the operations of the West African Coastal Observation Mission (MOLOA) and its partners, and boosting MOLOA’s resources (not funded by the FFEM)
2. Production of data related to understanding coastal risks and capacity-building for MOLOA, its partners and governance bodies
3. Experience-sharing and pilot initiatives for coastal risk adaptation and reduction (soft methods)
4. Communication, capitalisation and transfer of scientific knowledge
Pilot initiatives
BENIN
> Soft solutions for adapting to coastal risks at the mouth of the Mono River (Grand Popo);
SENEGAL
> Soft solutions for adapting to coastal risks at the mouth of the Senegal River: Saint-Louis MPA and village of Pilote Barre;
> Installation of a lightweight structure offering protection against coastal erosion and afforestation of 6 hectares in the Sangomar MPA;
> Assistance with the strategic abandonment of the Bargny fishermen’s district, which is threatened by erosion;
TOGO
> Implementation of a range of soft solutions for coastal risk prevention between the villages of Agbodrafo and Gbodjomé
Expected outcomes
> Greater knowledge of the West African coastline, the pressures it faces and solutions for addressing coastal risk adaptation in the face of climate change; information to be disseminated to practitioners along the West African coast.
> Capacity-building for those involved (MPAs, local authorities and local practitioners) to contribute to measures to prevent and monitor coastal and shoreline risks.
> Testing “soft solutions” for adapting to coastal risks, designed to be replicated at other coastal sites and supported by French expertise in the field.
