Climate crisis threatens West Africa's coastal cities

In a recent article from The Economist, the focus is on the plight facing coastal cities in West Africa, where rising seas and subsidence threaten their very existence.

Saint Louis, once known as the “Venice of Africa” due to its intricate network of waterways, serves as a poignant example of the challenges posed by climate change. As the Atlantic Ocean encroaches from the west and the Senegal River mouth borders it to the east, Saint Louis finds itself progressively inundated. The city's vulnerability is exacerbated by its low-lying geography, compounded by misguided attempts to manage flooding, such as a canal project in 2003 that worsened the situation.

The article underscores that Saint Louis is not an isolated case but a harbinger of what may await other rapidly expanding cities along West Africa’s coast. Cities like Lagos, built on islands and surrounded by lagoons, face similar threats. Nouakchott, Mauritania's capital, lies below sea level protected only by dunes vulnerable to erosion. These urban centres are critical economic hubs, contributing significantly to the region’s GDP and housing a substantial portion of its population.

The challenges are manifold: not only are sea levels rising, but these cities are also sinking due to subsidence induced by factors like unregulated development and excessive groundwater extraction. Lagos, for instance, is sinking at an alarming rate due to such practices. Moreover, the growing population in these areas intensifies the strain on already fragile coastal ecosystems and exacerbates the impacts of climate change.

The article emphasizes that the current approach of relying on costly infrastructure like dikes and seawalls is unsustainable for many of these cities, given their economic constraints. It advocates for nature-based solutions such as mangroves and coral reefs, which historically provided natural defences but are now themselves threatened by climate change.

Even if global carbon emissions were halted today, the article warns, the sea level rise already set in motion will continue to affect these coastal cities. This inevitability is driving discussions around climate migration, with residents of Saint Louis already being resettled inland as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of encroaching waters.

In conclusion, The Economist article argues that West Africa’s coastal cities face a critical juncture, where adaptation strategies must move beyond short-term fixes to embrace sustainable, nature-based solutions. This shift is imperative to safeguarding these cities from the growing threats posed by climate change and ensuring their viability in the decades to come.