The town is known as “Venice of Africa.” Because it slowly disappears into the sea. Saint Louis, the former capital of Senegal, has a fragile topography with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Senegal River to the east.
Climate change has eroding vulnerable coastlines and their homes are being eaten up by the ocean. Today the tide reaches the war memorial, hundreds of meters inland. The 2003 failed initiative to reduce flooding by digging canals exacerbated the problem and flooded the entire neighborhood. And ten years later, the government report predicted that by 2080 80% of the city would be at risk of flooding.
“St. Louis is a city of water,” says retired fisherman Cech Badian. “If you don't pay attention, it will disappear.”
The effects of this phenomenon have already forced many of the residents of St. Lewis to leave their homes. The threat of flooding has resulted in more than 3,000 residents moving from the coastal area. Cheikh Badiane and others have resigned to move. “Everyone has to go,” he sighs.
This is not just a local concern. The rapid growth of coastal cities in West Africa could portray St. Lewis as a future harbinger. Noakchot, the capital of Lagos and Mauritania, Nigeria's largest city, faces a similar situation. Nouakchott is below the surface of the sea and is protected only by thin sand dunes.
The World Bank estimates that F West Africa's GDP is 42% F West Africa's GDP is generated in coastal regions, generating 33% of the population. Nevertheless, coastal cities will no longer become population magnets by 2050 due to increased devastation caused by flooding and erosion.
The World Bank proposes nature-based solutions such as mangroves and coral reefs, which are also threatened by climate change.
St. Louis shows the difficulty of containing ocean advances. Sustainable solutions are attempted, but the scale and limited resources of poor countries' problems pose great challenges.
This means that many coastal communities will inevitably face relocation to highlands. This trend could change population dynamics and turn cities into sources of climate movement.
The reality of St. Louis reflects the common problems of many West African coastal cities, highlighting the urgent need for global, sustainable solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change in the world's most vulnerable regions.
