World Bank Group2016-05-172016-05-172015-11https://hdl.handle.net/10986/24283The effects of climate change, from changing precipitation patterns to rising seas, will exacerbate the coastal erosion already affecting West Africa, increasing the exposure and vulnerability of the people and assets located there. Given the importance of the coastal zone to the region as a whole, it is critical that policy makers consider the effects of future climate change in the decisions they make today. Regional cooperation is challenging, but it has been successful in many places, particularly where the issue addressed presented an existential challenge to the coun¬tries affected. Efforts to build trust and coordinate efforts will help policy makers protect the lives and livelihoods of the people in the region and allow their countries to build on the development gains made in recent years rather than see them rolled back as a result of climate change.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOEMISSION SCENARIOSCOASTAL AREAEMISSIONS SCENARIOSEMISSIONDROUGHTSECOSYSTEMCONSERVATION EFFORTSSUBSIDENCECLIMATE CHANGEIPCCSCIENCESEASDISCHARGECLIMATEFORESTSPROGRAMSEMISSIONSHUMAN ACTIVITYCOASTAL AREAS MANAGEMENTCLIMATE EVENTSCOASTAL ZONECOASTAL ESTUARIESFUTURE CLIMATE CHANGEEROSIONINTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGESEDIMENTLANDECOSYSTEMSSALINITYMANGROVECOASTSEA-LEVEL RISEESTUARIESCONSERVATIONPOPULATION GROWTHSHORELINEFLOODSCAPACITYCLIMATE IMPACTSTEMPERATURESCOASTAL EROSIONSEA-LEVELCLIMATE-RELATED HAZARDSRAINFALLLIVELIHOODSSEACLIMATE INFORMATIONSEA LEVELSEXTREME PRECIPITATIONNATURAL RESOURCESPRECIPITATIONMANGROVE FORESTSCOASTAL AREASSTORM SURGELAND USENATURAL ECOSYSTEMSBriefWorld Bank10.1596/24283