Coastal hazards are currently a major concern for several reasons :
- Coastal zones are complex, highly dynamic environments subjected to processes and interactions of different origins and intensities (marine, continental, biological, etc.);
- About 70% of the world’s population lives within 60 km of the coast and all forecasts indicate that population migration towards coasts will continue. In addition, the main socio-economic activities are commonly concentrated in coastal zones;
- 80% of the world’s coastline is eroding at rates ranging from centimeters to 10 meters per year. At the same time, coastal zones are increasingly exposed to flooding that causes significant human and material damage.
Furthermore, the concentration of populations, economic activities, and transport systems in coastal zones render these environments highly vulnerable to pollution of all types, and potential hotspots for oil spills.
African coastal zones are particularly concerned by these hazards. Indeed, in addition to the concentration of major African cities on or near the coast, the socio-economic fragility of populations, political instability, and the lack of legal frameworks specific to coastal management and risks in general, render them even more vulnerable.
Objective: The purpose of this meeting is to bring together scientists and managers interested in African coastal areas in order to draw up an assessment of the state of coastal zones, identify the main risks to which they are exposed, discuss the measures taken to confront these risks, and propose measures to be taken to better manage them.
Main Topics :
- Erosion and coastal flooding hazards in Africa:
- Coastal systems dynamics (continental and marine influences);
- Shoreline mobility (indicators, processes, coastal cliffs landslides, anthropogenic effects, Holocene, …);
- Coastal flooding (sea levels, extreme events, sedimentary and historical archives, processes, …);
- Climate change and risks of coastal erosion and flooding in Africa.
- Pollution and oil spill risks
- Land occupation and use in African coastal areas;
- Water quality (marine and continental) and pollution in coastal areas;
- Maritime traffic and oil spill risks in African coastal areas;
- Anthropogenic loads and natural disasters in Africa: ecological sensitivity of coastal areas.
- Coastal hazards management in Africa
- Socioeconomic consequences;
- Coastal facilities vs coastal risks;
- Management (stakeholders, territories, public policies, decisions, regulations, networks): Examples from African countries;
- GIS: Coastal systems planning and management tools;
- Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Maritime Spatial Planning: Examples of projects implemented in Africa (interdisciplinary, systemic approaches …).
The deadline for abstract submissions is extended to March 16, 2018. Answers to the accepted abstracts will be before April 11, 2018. Please direct any inquiries to one of the conference organizers:
- Abdelmounim El M’rini, PhD; Department of Earth Sciences – Abdelmalek Essaadi University –Morocco; aelmrini@gmail.com
- Driss Nachite, PhD; Department of Earth Sciences – Abdelmalek Essaadi University – Morocco; nachited@yahoo.fr
- Mohamed Maanan, PhD; Université de Nantes, Institut de Géographie et d’Aménagement, UMR 6554 LETG, Nantes, France. mohamed.maanan@univ-nantes.fr
- Edward Anthony, PhD; CEREGE – Aix-Marseille University – France; anthony@cerege.fr
