Post on 12-Apr-2017
“The Gambia’s adaptation experience:Coastal protection and building resilienceof coastal communities.”
NAP Expo 11 – 15 July 2016
Bonn, Germany
Approaches / adaptation solutions
Alpha A.K. Jallow (UNFCCC FP)
INTRODUCTION
National strategic Docs (NCs, NAPA) concluded
the Gambia is highly vulnerable to climate
change and variability as it depend on rain-fed
agriculture;
Sea level rise was another event of CC with
the resulting coastal erosion threatening the
Capital and coastal infrastructure (roads, hotels,
bridges)
Immediate and urgent actions were request to
address the situation
Geology of the Coastal
Zone of The Gambia
VULNERABILITY OF THE COASTAL ZONE TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
• About 92 square Km of land will be inundated as a
result of 1-metre sea level rise.
• About 50% (47 km2) will be on the sheltered coast.
• With a 1-metre sea level rise, the whole of the
capital city of Banjul will be lost;
• The mangrove systems on the river mount will be
lost.
• About 217 million US Dollars worth of land will be
lost.
• Inundation will be followed by shoreline retreat
which would vary along the coast from 102 m in the
harder cliffted zone to 839 m in the gently sloping
sandy areas.
VULNERABILITY OF CAPITAL SLR
IMPACTS OF COASTAL EROSION
URGENT ADAPTATION ACTIONS
1. Banned sand mining on the coastline;2. Beach nourishment project in 2002(Government)3. Coastal protection and building resilience of
coastal communities-NAPA project: coastal defense systems, improving vegetable gardens, rehabilitating salt mining facilities, providing fishing gears, building anti-salt dykes across rice fields, mangroves restoration
4. Integrated coastal zone management and the mainstreaming of climate change mainstreaming-GCCA project: ICZM plan, NCCP, sensitization and capacity building, coastal protection mechanisms
Result: Senegambia-Kairaba Hotel Beach face is
150 metres wide at high tide. (2004).
150 metres
Maladaptation: degradation and contraction of
Senegambia beach from 150 meters down to 16
meters in some places
Kololi Beach before the NourishmentKololi Beach after the Nourishment
in 2003
Kololi Beach in 2010 – worst than 2002 before the Nourishment
Effects of maladaptation
Why maladaptation
• Grain sizes of Original (fine) and Nourishment
(coarser) Sand are different and so more
amenable to erosion;
• Merely dumping sand on the dynamic Gambia
Beach is inappropriate;
• Need to construct and maintain sand and
shoreline stabilization structures to slow down
sand movement;
OTHER ACTIONS: sheltered coast (GCCA-Project)
Ant-salt dyke to enhance rice pdt
Restoration & protecting River bank against erosion
OTHER ACTIONS: sheltered coast
Fishing enhancedCB on CC risk management on the coastal zone
THANK YOU