Next WACA-VAR workshop: 30 September to 02 October 2025 at Grand Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire
Eylim beach resort Hotel – Grand Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire
The next edition of the workshop “West African coastal zones – mapping vulnerability, adaptability and resilience in a changing climate” (WACA-VAR) will be held in Grand Bassam (Côte d’Ivoire) from 30 September to 02 October 2025.
As a reminder, the WACA-VAR programme was set up to conduct an integrated study and develop innovative management strategies for a sustainable coast in the face of climate change, human activities and economic growth. To achieve the objectives of the WACA-VAR programme, an International Research Network (IRN), supported by the French Research Institute for Development (IRD), has been set up in 2022. This network brings together universities and research centers in West and Central Africa, e.g. University of Douala (Cameroon), University Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal), University Nangui Abrogoua (Côte d’Ivoire), University of Cape Coast (Ghana), Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin (Benin), Federal University of Technology, Akure (Nigeria). This network aims to (i) improve knowledge of the current and future vulnerability of the coasts of West and Central Africa, (ii) provide new data, information and tools that will be useful to investors, local and regional stakeholders (including coastal communities) and (iii) develop the capacity of local and regional stakeholders (including postgraduate students (i.e. MSc, PhD and Postdoc) through the training of current managers, future experts on the coasts of Central and West Africa and young researchers.
Read the 2019 workshop report here.
Read the 2021 workshop report here.
Read the 2023 workshop report here.
Participation
Deadline for Abstract/Title submission : May 15, 2025
Deadline for feedback to authors: Before 15 June 2025
Submission of abstracts to the following e-mail addresses: committee@wacavar.net, allassane_ouattara@hotmail.com
Preliminary program
Tuesday, 30 september 2025
- Coastal geomorphology
- Coastal ecosystems
- Coastal communities
Wednesday, 01 October 2025
- Coastal management (Environmental ministry)
- Visit pm: protected versus pristine beaches, protected versus pristine mangroves
Thursday, 02 october 2025
- Tools: in situ (bio samples, observations, drone, video system, numerical modeling
- Training
- WACA VAR plan: data plan, web-gis
Special issue
As with the last two editions, a special edition of the most impressive works will be published. More information in the coming days
Local committee
- A. Ouattara
- B. Komena
- P. Cecchi
International steering committee
- Gregoire O. Abessolo (The University of Ebolowa, Cameroon)
- Donatus B. Angnuureng (The University of Cape Coast, Ghana)
- Olusegun Dada (The federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria)
- Rafael Almar (French Institute of Research for Development (IRD), France)
