WEST AFRICA BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE (WA BiCC)

ACTIVITY BRIEF

INTEGRATING COASTAL ISSUES INTO NATIONAL ADAPTATION PLANNING

West Africa’s coastal zone plays a critical role in the socio-economicdevelopment of the region. The coastal zone supports critical ecosystems and economic activities such as fishing, mining, trade, industry, port infrastructure and tourism. For instance, the fisheries sector, with an annual catch of over 1.85 million metric tons, accounts for over $600 million in exports, which is a significant contribution to food security in the region.1

Nonetheless, these socio-economic values and opportunities are threatened by many factors, including climate change, which exacerbates other environmental and management stressors and is currently one of the greatest impediments to sustainable development.2

The coastal zone is deteriorating in many areas as a result of human activities, such as unplanned and unregulated coastal

development and excessive exploitation of natural resources, including mangrove forests and sand.These activities, coupled with poor institutional governance, result in environmental degradation, including deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, flooding and saltwater intrusion on drinking water and agriculture. The effects of climate change will exacerbate these threats and have far-reaching implications on communities as well as ecosystems and economies. Increased storminess and flooding resulting from climate variability are already impacting many coastal landscapes in the West African Sub-region.3

While the understanding of the cumulative impacts of these factors are still limited, countries across West Africa are already taking action to cope with and adapt to climate variability, and improve coastal management.

OBJECTIVE 1: Identify existing policy and institutional governance weaknesses to inform the improvement and execution of NAPs and enable streamlining of climate considerations into development planning.

WA BiCC will:

1. Revisit and update the current baseline information on the status of the integration of coastal issues into NAPs. WA BiCC will conduct a desktop study and national consultations in these focal countries.

OBJECTIVE 2. Support the effective integration of coastal management and adaptation actions into NAPs in target countries, including provisions for national and/or regional budgetary support.

WA BiCC will:

1. Conduct country level consultations with country NAP focal points, relevant coastal management experts and development partners;

2. Host a regional workshop to share lessons and experiences on integrating coastal issuesin NAP processes, policies and practices; and

3. Identify specific actions that WA BiCC and partners could support to improve integration of coastal issues into the NAP processes, policies and practices, and scale up through regional institutions, including the MRU, ECOWAS and the Abidjan Convention.

Efforts to improve coastal management, however, have been constrained by inadequate policies and institutional governance, and the lack of integration of strategic, knowledge-based approaches to natural resource management that helps coastal communities adapt to the effects of climate change.

To date, interventions to build coastal resilience to climate change have lacked a cohesive framework. In response to this need and the challenges in coastal management shared among West African countries, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including West African Parties to the Convention, adopted the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) framework. The NAP presents countries with a shared approach to

integrating climate change adaptation into more effective policies and practices over the short, medium and long-term.

The West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (WA BiCC) is working to support several West African countries to more effectively integrate coastal issues into NAP development processes and plans under its mandate on increasing coastal resilience to climate change. The aim is to identify interventions that could help to reduce the impacts of climate change on coastal areas and provide targeted support to pilot or enhance innovative approaches. This activity will focus on the four Members States of the Mano River Union - Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire – along with Ghana and Togo.

OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES

• Institutional and technical capacities for the integration of coastal issues into NAP processes enhanced.

• Pathways for integrating coastal issues into climate change adaptation planning at national and regional levels identified.

• Gaps in climate and environmental information necessary for NAP development are identified and addressed.

• Short, medium and long-term actions to strengthen the integration of coastal issues in to NAPs in West Africa defined.

INTENDED OUTCOMES

1. (USAID, 2013) West Africa Coastal Climate Change National Adaptation Planning Workshop Policy Brief. USAID. Washington, DC.

2. (IPCC, 2001) Special Report on The Regional Impacts of Climate Change: An Assessment of   Vulnerability. Africa Chapter. (www.grida.no/climate/ipcc/regional/006.htm)

3. (USAID, in press) Community and Ecosystem Vulnerability to Climate Change in Coastal Sierra Leone. Abridged Report produced for the United States   Agency for International Development by Tetra

Tech ARD, through a Task Order under the Prosperity, Livelihoods, and Conserving Ecosystems (PLACE) Indefinite Quantity.

The West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) program is a five-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that aims to improve conservation and climate-resilient, low-emissions growth across West Africa.

Although regional in scope and design, WA BiCC focuses on targeted geographical areas to improve governance and policy over critical natural and human systems.

By working with core regional partners, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mano River Union (MRU), Abidjan Convention, and other key national and sub-national institutions, WA BiCC increases the capacity of institutions at all levels to address the three core WA BiCC components: (1) combatting wildlife trafficking; (2) increasing coastal resilience to climate change; and (3) reducing deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss.

ABOUT WA BICC

Visit www.wabicc.orgEmail info@wabicc.orgTwitter @wabiccnewsFacebook wabiccnews

Accra Office:House No. F185/62nd Labone LinkNorth Labone, Accra

Stephen KelleherChief of Party Contact +233 207 960 905

Freetown Office:41 WI Derrick DriveOff Spur RoadFreetown, Sierra Leone

Leonis SesayAdministrative Point of Contact Contact +232 76 820 622

This brief is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this brief are the sole responsibility of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.