African coastal camera network efforts at monitoring ocean, climate, and human impacts

2023

Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000954574000024

Abessolo G. O., Almar Rafaël, Angnuureng D. B., Bonou F., Sohou Z., Camara I., Diouf A., Alory G., Onguene R., Mama A. C., Cisse C. O. T., Sy B. A., Sakho I., Djakoure S., Yao S., Tano A. R., Bergsma E. W. J., Dada O. A.

Scientific Reports - Nature, 2023, 13 (1), [13 p.] ISSN 2045-2322

Regular and long-term monitoring of coastal areas is a prerequisite to avoiding or mitigating the impacts of climate and human-driven hazards. In Africa, where populations and infrastructures are particularly exposed to risk, there is an urgent need to establish coastal monitoring, as observations are generally scarce. Measurement campaigns and very high-resolution satellite imagery are costly, while freely available satellite observations have temporal and spatial resolutions that are not suited to capture the event scale. To address the gap, a network of low-cost, multi-variable, shore-based video camera systems has been installed along the African coasts. Here, we present this network and its principle of sharing data, methods, and results obtained, building toward the implementation of a common integrated coastal management policy between countries. Further, we list new contributions to the understanding of still poorly documented African beaches' evolution, waves, and sea level impacts. This network is a solid platform for the development of inter-disciplinary observations for resources and ecology (such as fisheries, and sargassum landing), erosion and flooding, early warning systems during extreme events, and science-based coastal infrastructure management for sustainable future coasts.

Sciences du milieu [021] ; Limnologie physique / Océanographie physique [032]

AFRIQUE

Fonds IRD [F B010087620]

fdi:010087620