1. Coastal Erosion in West Africa

2. The Issues n Rapid erosion of around 8 m per year n Affects a 2000 km stretch of coastline from Ivory Coast to Nigeria

3. Physical factors affecting erosion n Large fetch n Breaking waves and frequent storms n Shallow sandy coast n Onshore winds year round n Strong West to East currents n Low lying land n Weak Soils

5. Human factors affecting erosion n Construction of a dam on the Volta n Construction of additional sea defences e.g. breakwater at Lome n Dredging artificial ports

8. Impacts of the erosion n Major roads lost n Buildings lost to the sea n Local industries decimated n Natural habitats destroyed/unprotected

10. Can the problem be solved? n Countries are very poor and have large debts n More than one country involved n High estimated costs for a solution n EIA often bypassed