The cost of coastal zone degradation in West Africa: Benin, Côte D’Lvoire, Senegal and Togo

West Africa’s coastal areas host about
one third of the region’s population and generate 56 percent
of its GDP. They are home for valuable wetlands, fisheries,
oil and gas reserves, and high tourism potential. However,
these areas are affected by severe pressures: rapid
urbanization along the coast has increased the demands on
land, water, and other natural resources; man-made
infrastructure and sand extraction have contributed to
significant coastal retreat; moreover, climate change and
disaster risks are exacerbating these threats. As a result,
coastal areas are undergoing alarming environmental
degradation leading to deaths (due to floods, air and water
pollution), losses of assets (houses, infrastructure) and
damages to critical ecosystems (mangroves, marine habitat).
This study estimates in monetary terms the Cost of
Environmental Degradation (COED) in the coastal areas of
Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Togo. Specifically,it
values the impacts of degradation that occur during one
year, as a result of three major factors: flooding, erosion,
and pollution (from water, air and waste). The final results
are expressed in 2017 prices. They are reflected in absolute
(USD) and in relative terms, as percentage of the countries’
GDP. Overall, the COED of the four countries is estimated at
aboutUSD 3.8 billion, or 5.3 percent of the countries’ GDP
in 2017. Flooding and erosion are the main forms of
degradation, accounting for more than 60 percent of the
total cost. Moreover, coastal degradation causes over 13,000
deaths a year, primarily due to air and water pollution, and
to floods.