J.B.Woerdman1*, O. Nieuwenhuis1 ,M. Ceesay2, J. Nell1, A.W. Minns1
1 Royal HaskoningDHV, Netherlands; 2 Tourism Diversification and Resilience in the Gambia Project, The Gambia
* Corresponding author: jelle.woerdman@rhdhv.com
Introduction
The coastline of The Gambia is essential to its tourism sector, attracting thousands of visitors annually to the pristine beaches of the Smiling Coast of Africa. However, rising sea levels and coastal erosion threaten these attractions, which are vital to The Gambia's economy and local communities' livelihoods. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Tourism of the Gambia has initiated the Tourism Diversification and Resilience in the Gambia Project (TDRGP). As part of this program, Royal HaskoningDHV has been contracted to aid in the development of a sustainable and long-term management strategy to enhance the tourism sector's resilience and ensure sustainable coastal management.
Objective and Methods
During the project, in-depth technical analyses were integrated with social, economic, financial and environmental analyses. Using a funnel design approach, a long list of solutions was narrowed down to three alternatives that would be effective to solve the identified risks in the coastal system. The shortlisted solutions were graded in a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). This approach encompasses 25 aspects across six themes: Technical, Social, Environmental, Economic, Tourism, and Institutional. By systematically scoring and weighting these criteria, MCA provides a comprehensive framework to assess and prioritize different resilience strategies, ensuring balanced and informed decision-making.
Results
This project is an engineering example of the complexities that are encountered while comparing alternatives involving Nature-based Solutions (e.g. sand nourishments) and traditional “grey” solutions (e.g. rockworks). Addressing the maintenance and financial aspects of these solutions is crucial for their long-term success. Additionally, the MCA is shown to be effective in incorporating more subjective criteria related to Nature-based Solutions including perceived societal and environmental benefits together with proof of their long-term effectiveness.
Gambia: The Smiling Coast of Africa
