A methodological framework of quantifying the cost of environmental degradation driven by coastal flooding and erosion: A case study in West Africa
Bolle, A.; das Neves, L.; De Nocker, L.; Dastgheib, A.; Couderé, K. (2021). A methodological framework of quantifying the cost of environmental degradation driven by coastal flooding and erosion: A case study in West Africa. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 54: 102022. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.102022
In: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV: Amsterdam. ISSN 2212-4209, more
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| Author keywords |
West Africa areas (WACA), Cost of coastal coastal environmental degradation (CoCED), Coastal flooding risk, Coastal erosion risk, Risk assessment, Risk modelling |
| Abstract |
Coastal environmental degradation – or the reduction of the capacity of coastal environments to meet social and ecological objectives and needs – is both a driver and a consequence of climate-induced disasters. In the West African coastal areas of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin the major drivers of environmental degradation are found to be primarily originating from rapid, inadequately planned and managed urban development – mirroring economic growth – concurrent with high-exposure to coastal flooding and erosion hazards. In addition to decreasing the resilience of coastal ecosystems, the context of widespread coastal environmental degradation in West Africa will undeniably have direct and indirect consequences for economic development and human wellbeing in the region. Furthermore, climate change will place additional increasing pressure on certain West African coastal frontages. The research presented in this paper focuses on the development and implementation, at country level and pilot-site level, of a methodological framework of quantifying the impact of coastal flooding and erosion on environmental degradation in economic terms. Specifically, this framework values the impacts of degradation that occur as a result of flooding and erosion – in absolute (US $, number of people affected) and in relative (as percentage of the countries' GDP) terms. Overall, the aggregated Cost of Coastal Environmental Degradation (CoCED) in the four countries driven by coastal flooding and erosion could amount to over US $ 3 billion by 2100, based on the worst case scenario of regional relative sea-level rise, corresponding to RCP 8.5. Moreover, the number of people affected could in some of the countries experience a 400% increase by 2100 when accounting for demographic growth. |
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