30 October 2009: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will execute a UN-backed project aimed at reversing coastal erosion in five West African countries.

The scheme will be implemented by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), non-governmental organizations and the private sector. It aims to protect the region’s biodiversity and enhance the abilities of local communities to adapt to the erosion partly caused by climate change. The scheme is also supported by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and will attempt to ensure that development plans and policies at the regional and national level incorporate climate change considerations.
The scheme, which is still in a pilot phase, so far has only been implemented in Guinea-Bissau, but will also be carried out in Cape Verde, Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal. [UN press release]