Pathways to sustainability for West African lagoons

Lagoons are a critical environment of the West African coastline. They provide a plethora of ecosystem services critical to the economy, society and culture of the settlements that have grown up around them, many of which are now the region’s most developed and fastest growing urban areas. However, a complex set of inter-connected challenges related to climate change, population growth and development challenges threatens the sustainability of lagoons and their communities. SDV co-leads the Resilient Lagoon Network (RLN), which was established through GCRF support (2021-2022) to address challenges faced by lagoonal communities in West Africa.
The RLN have had significant achievements to date:
•Built a baseline understanding of the current state of lagoons in West Africa
•Built research capacity and collaboration for and with West African researchers
•United coastal researchers, practitioners and lagoon stakeholders from the region through virtual and in person events*
•Raised awareness of the significance of lagoons*
•Developed a stakeholder-led framework for lagoon management https://lagoonnetwork.org/securing-the-future-of-lagoons/a-lagoon-management-framework/
•Disseminated the lagoon management framework*
*Supported by impact funds 2022/23

From this foundation, the RLN will create impact through operationalising the lagoon management framework and continuing to educate on the significance of lagoons. This will be achieved by:
•Workshops for lagoon stakeholders focusing on utilising the framework
•Connecting lagoon stakeholders to create communities of practice and platforms for discussion and dissemination of sustainable practices
•Supporting avenues for entrepreneurial solutions to lagoon sustainability and how such approaches can be used with the context of the framework
Securing external funding for pilot projects to assess the approaches in the framework is a priority.