Over 40% of West Africa’s GDP is generated in coastal areas, where almost one-third of the population resides. However, coastal degradation severely threatens West Africa’s people, communities, livelihoods, safety, and infrastructure.

The World Bank’s vision is to create a world free of poverty in all its forms and to boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. To pursue this vision in West Africa, the World Bank, countries, and partners launched the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA) in 2018. WACA aims to fight the looming threats of erosion, flooding, and pollution, enhance the resilience of coastal communities while prioritizing women, and support coastal countries in better managing shared coastal resources.

The $630 million program is transforming coastal livelihoods in nine countries, namely, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Togo. Its regional engagements extend to all 17 West African countries.

The impact stories featured here showcase a selection of WACA flagship projects that have tackled key threats to West Africa’s coastal countries and had an especially powerful and positive impact in the region.

Special thanks to our partners who have made WACA possible

Agence Française de Développement, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), European Space Agency, French Global Environment Facility, Global Environment Facility, Global Facility For Disaster Reduction And Recovery, Global Infrastructure Facility, Global Program on Sustainability, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Invest International, Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility, Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition (France), NDC Support Facility, Nordic Development Fund, Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility, Quality Infrastructure Investment Partnership, Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and the World Bank