KNOWLEDGE SHEET 9C | POLITICAL  SU STA I NA BLE U SE O F RESOURCES KNOWLEDGE SHEET 9C | POLITICAL Preserving the Coasts of West Africa: What can Governments Do? Engaging Public Institutions on Coastal Preservation The potential increase in Coastal • Temperatures in West Africa will continue to Flooding Fatalities (IPPC, 2014) increase between 3°C and 6°C by 2100. 150% • Increased temperatures will increase the risk to droughts resulting in 321 million people in the 100% 2050s and 391 million in the 2080s exposed to 50% hunger due to falling crop yields (FAO, 2000) 0% • Without preservation of the West African marine 2017 2020 2050 and coastal environment, deaths attributed to coastal flooding will be between 9-20% by 12 Million People in Coastal Regions in 2020 and by 144% by 2050 (IPPC, 2014) (PACJA. West Africa are at risk of hunger due 2009. page 22). to falling crop yelds (UNPD, 2004) • Apart from deaths attributed to extreme storms, Temperatures in West Africa set to rise cardiovascular disease will increase by 0 - 1.1% above the global averages to 3°-6° per year in coastal regions of West Africa due to extreme heat (PACJA. 2009. page 22). Cardiovascular disease in Coastal Regions will increase by 0-1.1% due to external heat (McMichael et. al., 2003) Environmental Degradation estimated The West African coastal region is rich in natural land to USD 9 billion/year in West Africa resources. However, increased pressure on these resources from the rapidly growing coastal population has degraded West Africa Marine Ecoregion is the these reserves. The effects are compounded by the region’s most economically productive in the world (WWF, 2017) vulnerability to climate shocks. Well-established natural resource management and improved territorial and regional governance are paramount to economic development, food 1 KNOWLEDGE SHEET 9C | POLITICAL  SU STA I NA BLE U SE O F RESOURCES security, environmental preservation and the sustainable For instance, in the construction sector, uncoordinated development of the region. Governments need to ensure and fragmented actions and poorly regulated construction that environmental integrity is secured, international and practices, coupled with inadequate land planning and national commitments are met and the susceptibility of impact assessments has accentuated the vulnerability the environment is reduced so that vulnerable groups are and hindered preservation of the local coastal ecosys- fully supported. The introduction, implementation and tems. For example, the construction of the hydroelectric the renewal of coastal ecology policies, laws, governance Nangbeto Dam on the River Mono in Togo has had an frameworks, and risk reduction programs, will ensure impact on the regime of the river flood patterns and environmental integrity aimed at improving citizens’ sediment transportation, which has affected the supply livelihood that directly preserves the coastal environment of sediment to the coast of Togo and Benin causing and positively affects climate resilience. increased erosion of the sandy coast line. Challenges The governments of West Africa are challenged to pre- pare, adapt and mitigate the climate change effects in the coastal areas. For example, in Ghana there has been a 10% reduction in rainfall, coupled with an increase in the average temperature of at least 1 degree across all six ecological zones (Sudan Savannah, Guinea Savannah, Forest Savannah Transition, Semi-Decideous Rainforest, High Rainforest and Coastal Savannah) which has affected the ecological range of cash crops such as cocoa with increased failure of temperature sensitive staples such as maize. Coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion have continued to threaten the agricultural communities of Totope and Fuvemeh through saltwater intrusion along the eastern coast of Ghana. These impacts are further compounded by a number of institutional needs; West African countries suffer from insufficient institutional development. This results in a Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (Benin/Togo), UNESCO/GIZ lack of technical knowledge and the absence of adequate legislation to contribute to preserving coastal environ- ments. For example in Togo, mangrove deforestation has Potential Solutions resulted from unregulated and unsustainable harvesting of timber products from the mangrove forests (Johnson Local, national and regional governments are the driving et al., 2001, page 84). In Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and force to bring about preservation of the coastal and Togo there has been an intensification of uncontrolled marine environments. Governments can take action marine and coastal activities such as illegal fishing and through some of the following means: sand mining, which has not been controlled through legislation or the enforcement of laws. • Incorporate water resources management into the overall management and coordination of the coastal When national legislation is introduced there is frag- zones. To prevent cases such as the impacts of the mentation between actions taken by different govern- Nangbeto Dam. ment agencies and departments, there is little policy integration across sectors, with departments operating • Set-up awareness campaigns to prevent mangrove independently and often in conflict with one another, forest destruction and start initiatives to plant endemic resulting in maladaptive or overlapping practices across species adapted to local conditions to aid in the the country. preservation of the coastal and marine environments. 2 KNOWLEDGE SHEET 9C | POLITICAL  SU STA I NA BLE U SE O F RESOURCES For example in the coastal region of Sèmè-Podji in policies and outcomes to assess the sustainability Benin the local government has organized a National of investment projects and the optimal allocation of Tree Day and Communal Reforestation Campaigns resources. (UNDEF 2011, page 21). West African governments are also challenged to achieve • Response to coastal climate disasters through mobi- their national policies, roadmaps and action plans which lizing coordinated units such as that from the National will impact on coastal communities. For example Ghana Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) in has the National Climate Change Master Plan Action Ghana which is the national body mandated to identify, Program for Implementation between 2015–2020 or monitor, assess, prevent and respond to disasters. Benin with the Agenda 21; Benin 2025; the Agreement These relief items are usually distributed on Sustainable Development, and several reforestation programs, as well as an Initial and Second National • Share and update coastal observation and data col- Communication document on climate change that are lection mechanisms across countries and the region currently under implementation (MER, 2015, page 4). The to manage and monitor any action related to coastal Ivory Coast is challenged with implementing the Coastal land reforms and the setting of protected land and Protection Action Plan and the National Adaptation Plan marine protected areas. For example, the construction (NAP) for Climate Change. The governments across West of a sea defense structure at Keta along the coast of African can share these national documents to drive Ada by the Ministry of Water Resources Works and further coordinated West African coastal preservation. Housing in Ghana is information that can to be shared with other West African countries. • Develop a micro credit system for Marine Protected Areas and for other environmental preservation activi- ties (example can be taken from Senegal). Micro credit unions generate income while reducing pressure on the environment. • Build capacity of coastal and marine park managers based on business planning, ecotourism development, engagement of local communities and assessment of management effectiveness. • Expand the Regional Program for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM) to include other West African countries and international conservation organizations and international financing partners (WWF, 2013) to help introduce regional agreements, legislation and conservation mechanisms. • Bring-in and scale up tools and analyses such as Natural Capital Accounting (examples from Benin, Togo and Mauritania), Impact Evaluation Analysis, Project Economic Analysis, Environmental Degradation Cost Analysis, Environmental Impact Assessments, and Ecosystem Services valuation. These tools will aid in monitoring; projections and policy analysis of coastal ecosystems to help countries implement and use policy relevant accounts. They are also used to take stock and flows of physical natural resources and to understand the causal effects between programs/ Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (Benin/Togo), UNESCO/GIZ 3 KNOWLEDGE SHEET 9C | POLITICAL  SU STA I NA BLE U SE O F RESOURCES BEST PRACTICE How the Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (MTBR) is promoting sustainable natural resources management in Togo and Benin Due to the unsustainable use of natural resources, • An integrated management approach was set many ecosystems in the Mono basin (Togo and Benin) up for the recovery of fish populations and local were on the brink of destruction. The local populations endemic species are totally reliant on the ecosystem for their liveli- • Legal status was given to culturally important hoods (fishing, farming and hunting), and therefore forests and lands the basin had to be preserved. The MTBR was set • A transboundry coordination group was created up (see figure) to conserve, restore and sustainably Through the MTBR implementation, biodiversity loss manage natural resources and ecosystem services of has been halted, ecosystems are being restored and the region through a participatory manner and thus, safeguarded, people are becoming aware of the to contribute to the well-being of local communities values of biodiversity and the steps they can take (GIZ, 2016). The following actions were undertaken to conserve and use it sustainably and governments are implementing plans for sustainable consumption to set-up and manage the MTBR: and production. • A bottom up approach to conservation was The MTBR shows that the success of preservation initiated depends mainly upon good analysis, spatial planning and collaboration alongside flexible decision-making • Participation was sought for local and regional processes coupled with governmental and community decision makers in mainstreaming ecosystem participation to determine the best environmental services preservation policies and interventions. Map outline showing the area of the MTBR (GIZ, 2016). 4 KNOWLEDGE SHEET 9C | POLITICAL  SU STA I NA BLE U SE O F RESOURCES REFERENCES • GIZ. 2016. Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Organization, 2003. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/pub- (MTBR) A new protected area in the West African lications/2003/9241590815.pdf Dahomey Gap. Retrieved April 2017. https://www. • MER (2015). Climate Change Profile Benin. Page cbd.int/cepa/cepafair/2016/presentations/poster- tool/bj-tg-giz-print.pdf 4. https://ees.kuleuven.be/klimos/toolkit/docu- ments/684_CC_benin.pdf • Hussein, MA (2007). Cost of Environmental degrada- tion. Analysis of the Middle East and North African • Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA). 2009. Region. Management of Environmental Quality. 19-3. The Economic Cost of Climate Change in Africa. http://earthmind.org/files/coed/03-COED-Middle- Retrieved (http://www.christianaid.org.uk/images/ East-North-Africa.pdf economic-cost-of-climate-change-in-africa.pdf). • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), • UNDEF. 2011. Synthèse de la feuille de route com- 2014. Climate Change 2014–Impacts, Adaptation and munal. Page 21. http://www.mdscbenin.org/IMG/ Vulnerability: Regional Aspects. Cambridge University pdf/seme-podji.pdf Press. Page 84. • UNDP; 2004; Adaptation to Climate Change- • Johnson, D., Blivi, A., Houedakor, K., Kwassi, A., Sena, Responding to Coastline Change in its human dimen- N. 2001. Le littoral du Togo: données et gestion intégrée. Centre de Gestion Intégrée du Littoral et de sions in West Africa through Integrated Coastal Area l’Environnement. Université de Lomé, Togo, Guinea. Management (ACCC) http://www. coastgis.org/01pdfs/johnson.pdf • WWF, 2013, The West Africa Marine Ecoregion. • McMichael AJ et al. Climate change and human http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/ health: risks and responses. Geneva, World Health protected_areas/pa4lp/wamer/ The West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA) is a convening platform that aims to assist West African countries to sustainably manage their coastal areas and enhance socio-economic resilience to the effects of climate change. The program also seeks to facilitate access to technical expertise and financial resources for participating countries. www.worldbank.org/waca 5