News
West African Delegation Explores Dutch Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience
In November 2024, over 20 officials and coastal resilience experts from eight West African countries traveled to the Netherlands to study Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation. The study tour, organized by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Partners for Water Program, with support from EcoShape, NL2120, and Invest International, provided hands-on exposure to Dutch innovations in coastal and urban water management.
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Côte d’Ivoire: Income-Generating Activities as a Pillar of Community Resilience of Grand-Lahou
Coastal erosion and climate change have placed immense pressure on Grand-Lahou and Côte d'Ivoire communities, threatening livelihoods and ecosystems. The WACA Project tackles these challenges not only through physical interventions but also by empowering communities economically. Its Income-Generating Activities (IGA) initiative, a program's cornerstone, has transformed lives, bolstered economic resilience, and strengthened social cohesion for 1,219 individuals across 416 beneficiaries.
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The Gambia Hosts Regional Advocacy Workshop to Strengthen Coastal Resilience
From December 3 to 6, 2024, The Gambia hosted a regional training workshop on advocacy under the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA) initiative. Organized by UICN/WACA BAR, the event brought together communication and institutional development specialists from nine coastal countries. The primary goal was to build capacity and craft strategies to protect critical ecosystems and support vulnerable coastal communities.
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Nouakchott Coastline Mapping to Enhance Resilience Efforts
Nouakchott's vulnerable coastline is set to undergo precise mapping thanks to an advanced LIDAR survey launched under the West Africa Coastal Management Program (WACA) initiative. This effort aims to strengthen coastal resilience by providing a detailed view of the shoreline's condition, from the new conference center down to the southern edge of Nouakchott Port in Mauritania.
News
Meeting of environment ministers in Lomé: a new momentum for the protection of the West African coastline
West and Central African environment ministers convened in Lomé, Togo, on October 10, 2024, to address pressing coastal issues such as erosion, biodiversity, and marine protection in the region. The meeting, organized by the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), brought together representatives from several nations and international bodies to coordinate a collective response to environmental challenges.
News
Balancing Nature: How Togo’s WACA Project is Protecting Farmers and Endangered Hippos
To mitigate conflicts between humans and hippos, the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project (ResIP) in Togo has developed a novel solution: creating seven hectares of grazing land around the Afito marshes in the Sédomé region, with high biodiversity value. Planting with vegetation such as Ipomea aquatica and Sporobolus pyramidalis, these grazing areas have provided hippos with sufficient food, keeping them away from nearby villages and protecting farmers' fields.
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Nature-based Solutions as a Path to Coastal Resilience in West Africa: Launching the NbS Inventory and Impact Study
West Africa's coastal regions are vital to millions of people's livelihoods, food security, and prosperity. Still, they are increasingly at risk from erosion, flooding, and the impacts of climate change. The West African Coastal Areas (WACA) Program was established to support countries in tackling these challenges by fostering regional cooperation and leveraging both public and private finance.
A core objective of the WACA Program is to promote innovative, sustainable solutions to coastal degradation, especially those that harness nature's power.
News
Senegal: Cleanup Campaign Yields Over 20 Tons of Waste in Five Hours at Gorée Marine Protected Area
The management committee of the Gorée Marine Protected Area (MPA), in collaboration with the WACA-ResIP Senegal project, recently led an underwater cleanup operation, partnering with environmental organizations and the Local Councils for Artisanal Fishing (CLPA) of Rufisque. This initiative focuses on improving the cleanliness and hygiene of beaches and marine areas, targeting key zones for biodiversity conservation and popular swimming sites.
News
Quarterly West African Regional Observatory Newsletter. Issue 21
The examination the WARCO memorandum of understanding constitutes an important step towards its formalization and implementation. Experts from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, as well as the Representatives of the WAEMU Commissions, the Economic Community of West African States.
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WACA Gambia Project delivers 34 floodwater pumps to communities
WACA Gambia handed over 34 floodwater pumps to the National Disaster Management Agency and local authorities for high-risk communities in Kanifing and Brikama.
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Modern toilets for Mrs Ndo, thanks to WACA
In her fifties, Madame N'do ABOKI is a widow with three children. She lives in Zébé, a neighborhood in the city of Aného. For years, even before her husband passed away, she had hoped to have modern toilets in her home. However, the lack of means to buy the necessary materials, which are expensive, prevented her project from coming to fruition until the day WACA launched the sub-project for solid and liquid waste management.
Blog
Côte d’Ivoire: Experts and communities partner to restore mangrove and forests
Reviving Mangroves: WACA's Strategic Efforts to Bolster Coastal Resilience in Cote d'Ivoire
Blog
Togo: building resilience in fishing communities highlighted by 20th Radio du Littoral program
The 20th Radio du Littoral broadcast in Togo focuses on strengthening resilience in communities.
Blog
Preserve our Coastline, Protect our Future Blog Competition young bloggers bring their voices as part of the solutions for coastal resilience
As part of the WACA Blog Togo competition, WACA REsIP awarded six young bloggers and vloggers.
News
ACECor shares proceedings from conference on inclusive Blue Economy in Africa: towards sustainable transformation and resilience of the marine environment
The Centre for Coastal Management – Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM-ACECoR), University of Coast, as part of its 10th Anniversary organized the 3rd edition of the Biennial Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment, with the focus on the Blue Economy on November 6 -8, 2023.