An evaluation of coastal resilience policies in Anglophone West Africa through a regional comparative analysis

Unsustainable human activities and the effects of climate change are having an increasingly negative effect along West Africa’s highly urbanised and low-lying coastal zones. While West African countries have implemented various policies to support the resilience of coastal zones, there has been limited investigation on the existence and nature of these policies. This study reviewed policies from six Anglophone countries across the West African coastal zone (Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) and mapped policies against key themes of coastal resilience. The themes of coastal resilience were established via a thematic analysis of relevant literature as: alternative livelihoods, acquisition of climate and coastal data, support for climate resilience, coastal zone management, conservation/ecosystem services, and indigenous knowledge. The existence and coverage of these six resilience themes within the policies of each country was mapped. Each country was then ranked according to coverage of themes in their policies using a traffic light system. The analysis revealed differences between countries in the presence and emphasis of policies supporting coastal resilience. Ghana was rated as the country with the most and broadest-ranging policy and Guinea the least. Overall policy was found to be strong on themes of data gathering and conservation and ecosystem services but weak on the themes of alternative livelihoods and inclusion of indigenous knowledge. This study can be used to understand regionally where there are gaps in policy that support coastal resilience.