Assessing and Adapting to Climate-change Induced Sea- Level Rise on the Southern Coastline of the Gambia

The risk of climate-change induced sea-level rise damage to human and economic development in coastal areas of The Gambia is mounting. The combined effect of sea-level rise and changes in upstream river discharge, erosion of coastal embankmentsand changes to natural sediment dynamics, pose a serious threat to the natural resources base and livelihood opportunities of coastal communities(UNDP, 2012). In addition to recurrent and rapid onset of extreme events (i.e., flash flooding), The Gambia’s coastal zone is being confronted with a range of creeping climate risks such as increasing salinity level trends in coastal freshwater resources, growing drainage congestion, dynamic changes in coastal sediment dynamics and morphology and a decline in the functioning of protective ecosystems (e.g., mangroves). Currently, The Gambia has no Integrated Coastal Zone Act or Climate Change Policy; issues of coastal zone management are highlighted in the National Environment Management Act (NEMA). Therefore, there is a need for policy development to guide future strategies in sea-level rise adaptation within the coastal zone. The purpose of this research is to assess the effects of climate-change induced sea-level rise on the Southern coastline of The Gambia, and recommend possible adaptation options and strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change. The first part of the assessment focuses on a review of common approachesto vulnerability assessment used by international organizations in the field of climate change and environmental management, and assesses the approaches which could be applicable toThe Gambia in future vulnerability assessments. In addition, a review of the tools used in climate change and sea-level rise assessment and case studies from regional and international levels on sea-level impact on coastal erosion, climate change adaptation strategies and options are alsoconsidered, in view of the importance of the coastal zone in contributing to the economy of The Gambia. The second part of this research mainly focuses on the current status of the Southern coastline of The Gambia including significance of the study area in terms of its contribution to the socioeconomic development of the country, but also its vulnerability to climate-change induced sea-level rise projection, and current problems including the existing adaptation and mitigation