Event Summary
Speakers
- Alessio Giardino, Senior coastal engineer, Deltares
- Kouadio Affian, Ocean Expert , Curat
Description
Wednesday November 20, 9:00 – 10:30, Room 2
The West African coast consists of a narrow low-lying coastal strip, maintained by sediments from rivers and transported along the coast by waves and currents, a process comparable to a Sand River. However, this sandy coastal barrier is eroding almost everywhere, and the already critical situation is likely to be worsened in the future due to climate change. Deltares (2017) carried out a study to assess sediment quantities moved by this Sand River, and the impact that major anthropogenic interventions (port and river dams on this Sand river) have and will have on the West African coastline (Giardino et al., 2018).
During this interactive workshop we will show how coastal erosion can be assessed using a combination of modelling tools and satellite-based information. We will also demonstrate how the impact of sea level rise can be assessed using recently derived global datasets (Athanasiou, 2019). Finally, using interactive toolkits (e.g. Simple Coast and the Interactive Design Tool for Coastal Development) we will show how planning of mitigation options and coastal developments) can be performed in close cooperation with local stakeholders and decision makers.
Speaker bios
Dr. Alessio Giardino is a specialist in coastal erosion management, multi-hazard risk assessments, planning of disaster risk reduction measures and adaptation to climate change. He has been involved as expert adviser and team leader in several assignments in different countries worldwide. In West Africa, he has been leading a study to quantify large-scale coastal morphodynamics and the impact of major anthropogenic interventions and climate change on the West Africa coastline (i.e. Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin). He has also been actively working in several assignment on multi-hazard risk assessment in Sao Tome and Principe and currently in Liberia. He is a strong believer of engaging local stakeholders in coastal engineering projects using a variety of interactive tools of which he has been leading the development (e.g. “SimpleCoast” toolkit www.simplecoast.com).