Addressing Rising Sea Levels in Coastal Africa: Evaluating Adaptation Measures and Their Impact on Community Resilience

Adapting to the serious threat of rising ocean levels in coastal cities in Africa requires a comprehensive set of measures from costal communities and government bodies. These measures may include the implementation of early warning systems, ecosystem-based approaches, and establishing climate-resilient infrastructure (Niang et al., 2014). Early warning systems are a pivotal part of adaptation strategies, by providing vital real-time information on impending climate-related hazards, including sea-level rise (UNEP, 2018). Such systems are crucial to aiding vulnerable communities in preparing and responding to the potential impacts of these hazards, thereby mitigating causalities and economic losses (UNDP, 2015). Taking an ecosystem-based approach, a strategy that aims to leverage the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to adapt to climate change impacts, can also be particularly useful (Munang et al., 2013). This approach includes activities like rehabilitating and protecting mangroves, which serve as a natural barrier against sea-level rise, while simultaneously offering other benefits like carbon sequestration and fostering local livelihoods (Fatoyinbo et al., 2017). Finally, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure can also be essential. These types of infrastructure may include sea walls and consciously constructed residential areas that are designed with higher sea levels in mind (World Bank, 2019). Combined, these measures could significantly contribute to managing the risk associated with rising ocean levels. But implementing these adaptations necessitates robust support both from local communities and higher levels of government. This will likely entail education, policy changes, and investments in order to ensure the effective execution and sustainability of these strategies. References: Fatoyinbo, L., Feliciano, E. A., Lagomasino, D., Lee, S., & Trettin, C. (2017). Landscape-scale extent, height, biomass, and carbon estimation of Mozambique’s mangrove forests with Landsat ETM+ and SRTM data. Remote sensing of Environment, 215, 102-115. Munang, R., Thiaw, I., Alverson, K., Mumba, M., Liu, J., & Rivington, M. (2013). Climate change and Ecosystem-based Adaptation: a new pragmatic approach to buffering climate change impacts. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 5(1), 67-71. Niang, I., Ruppel, O.C., Abdrabo, M.A., Essel, A., Lennard, C., Padgham, J., & Urquhart, P. (2014). Africa. In Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. United Nations Development Programme [UNDP]. (2015). Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast and Nile Delta Regions in Egypt Project Document. United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP]. (2018). Early Warning Systems: A State of the Art Analysis and Future Directions. World Bank (2019). Climate-Resilient Coastal Protection and Management Study.