Alex Rose-Innes
With sea levels rising as a result of global warming, the west coast of Africa is being eroded by as much as 30 metres annually.
Already in 2019, Earth.org reported that erosion was severely affecting Africa’s coastal communities and an urgent call for a unified continental response was made.
Predictions are that by the end of this century, sea levels are expected to rise by 76cm around the globe and more so along the western African coast. One third of the region’s population resides here and is responsible for the largest part of the affected countries’ Gross Development Product (GDP). According to the World Bank, this could cost these countries almost USD4 billion per annum and cause the death of as many as 13 000 people. Per year.
In Ghana, with the fastest growing economy across the globe, rising sea levels had decimated beaches and outcrops in Keta, Shama and Ada. Fish stocks had as a result migrated and salination of agricultural land and fresh water reserves are threatening food security. Keta’s population had to move inland and Fuveme, a coastal town in the area had been reduced to a small island in the Gulf of Guinea.
Senegal had seen its UNESCO World Heritage site, Saint Louis, destroyed as the sea flooded streets and and destroyed crops. Only four metres above sea level, this country is not only located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, but is affected by the encroaching Sahara Desert to boot. The rising tides had forced schools and mosques to close and people to evacuate their homes. Once abundant crops watered from the fresh inflow of the Senegal River had been flooded by salt water and livelihoods were lost.
In Nigeria, the megacity of Laos with its population of more than 21 million and its vast areas of waterfront slums without sewage systems, are frequently flooded, leading to an increase in water-borne diseases.
The Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo had been steadily losing their coastline by as much as two metres annually, costing these countries billions in US dollars.
Hundreds of billions of dollars are needed to protect these areas and costs would increase in the future as governments battle with land depletion and poverty. The only hope would be international climate funding from organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
With poor education regarding agricultural strategies such as floatation crop growing and proper water management, African governments should invest in programmes and resources to address migration. Waiting until disaster strikes would lead to increased poverty and reduced economic output.
