Benin and Sea Level Rise
Thursday, 31. January 2008, 10:25:37
There are still a few people denying that global warming is taking place. Others deny that human activity is in any way contributing to the change.
And some people say “what does it matter? it has happened before in Earth’s long history”. Well now, maybe sea level rise was contributing to the extinction of the dinosaurs, because their natural habitat was flooded. Anyway newspapers have been full of long lists with possible/probable negative effects, leaving little excuse for “we did not know” mentality. The speed with which the changes now are occurring leaves too little time for humans, animals and plants to adapt to the changed environmental situation.
Today let us have a look at the situation at the coast in Benin, a West African country.
The country's main city, Cotonou, with a population of more than 500,000, lies below sea level. Should there be violent floods, a large chunk of the city could be submerged by water and possibly even wiped off the map. Huge breakers constantly battering Benin's coast - and the rest of the shoreline on the Gulf of Guinea - are starting to take their toll. Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria are also fighting to stop the sea from gulping up chunks of land. In Benin, the erosion on its narrow stretch of coastline was first recorded a century ago. The phenomenon has been exacerbated by the rise in seawater levels, attributed to global warming. The coastline to the east of Cotonou has moved back 400 metres in 40 years, that is an average of 10 metres a year. If nothing happens before 2025, the coastline will lie 950 metres farther inland than it did in 1963. Worldwide, seawater levels are estimated to have risen between 10 and 20 centimetres in the past 100 years and that trend is speeding up. If you live far away from a flat coast, 10 cm may sound as nothing, but for a large part of the world population a few centimetres difference can be vital.
It must be said that the problem in Benin is being made worse by sand collectors, who use lorries to take away tonnes of beach sand for building work. It is claimed that the taking of sand from the beaches is, in effect, digging Cotonou's grave and it is vital that they voluntarily revert to importing sand.
A study by Columbia University showed that sea water levels on the West African coast could rise by more than 50 centimetres between now and the end of the century.
Some of the disastrous effects in Benin of the coastal erosion and sea level rise are described here:
• Terra Daily 25 January 2008 http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Benins_Cotonou_a_city_slowly_swallowed_by_waves_999.html
• BBC December 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4216902.stm
PS of 1 February 2008:
"February 1, 2008
Following are details of a Reuters poll of 10 leading climatologists about likely rises in world sea levels this century:
Six of the 10 experts contacted by Reuters in the last 10 days stuck to projections by the UN Climate Panel that sea levels will rise by between about 20 and 80 cms by 2100. Four said gains could be higher because of likely bigger thawing of Antarctica and Greenland. None thought the IPCC was exaggerating the risks."
Source: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46721/story.htm
And some people say “what does it matter? it has happened before in Earth’s long history”. Well now, maybe sea level rise was contributing to the extinction of the dinosaurs, because their natural habitat was flooded. Anyway newspapers have been full of long lists with possible/probable negative effects, leaving little excuse for “we did not know” mentality. The speed with which the changes now are occurring leaves too little time for humans, animals and plants to adapt to the changed environmental situation.
Today let us have a look at the situation at the coast in Benin, a West African country.The country's main city, Cotonou, with a population of more than 500,000, lies below sea level. Should there be violent floods, a large chunk of the city could be submerged by water and possibly even wiped off the map. Huge breakers constantly battering Benin's coast - and the rest of the shoreline on the Gulf of Guinea - are starting to take their toll. Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria are also fighting to stop the sea from gulping up chunks of land. In Benin, the erosion on its narrow stretch of coastline was first recorded a century ago. The phenomenon has been exacerbated by the rise in seawater levels, attributed to global warming. The coastline to the east of Cotonou has moved back 400 metres in 40 years, that is an average of 10 metres a year. If nothing happens before 2025, the coastline will lie 950 metres farther inland than it did in 1963. Worldwide, seawater levels are estimated to have risen between 10 and 20 centimetres in the past 100 years and that trend is speeding up. If you live far away from a flat coast, 10 cm may sound as nothing, but for a large part of the world population a few centimetres difference can be vital.
It must be said that the problem in Benin is being made worse by sand collectors, who use lorries to take away tonnes of beach sand for building work. It is claimed that the taking of sand from the beaches is, in effect, digging Cotonou's grave and it is vital that they voluntarily revert to importing sand.
A study by Columbia University showed that sea water levels on the West African coast could rise by more than 50 centimetres between now and the end of the century.
Some of the disastrous effects in Benin of the coastal erosion and sea level rise are described here:
• Terra Daily 25 January 2008 http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Benins_Cotonou_a_city_slowly_swallowed_by_waves_999.html
• BBC December 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4216902.stm
PS of 1 February 2008:
"February 1, 2008
Following are details of a Reuters poll of 10 leading climatologists about likely rises in world sea levels this century:
Six of the 10 experts contacted by Reuters in the last 10 days stuck to projections by the UN Climate Panel that sea levels will rise by between about 20 and 80 cms by 2100. Four said gains could be higher because of likely bigger thawing of Antarctica and Greenland. None thought the IPCC was exaggerating the risks."
Source: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46721/story.htm
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