Next WACA-VAR workshop: rendez-vous in Grand-Bassam from September 30 to October 2, 2025

The 2025 edition of the WACA-VAR(West African coastal zones - mapping vulnerability, adaptability and resilience in a changing climate) workshop will be held in Grand-Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire, from September 30 to October 2, 2025, at the Eylim Beach Resort Hotel.

A program dedicated to West African coastal zones

Created in 2022 with the support ofIRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement), the WACA-VAR international research network federates universitiess and research centers in West and Central Africa (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria) around a common goal:

• improve knowledge of current and future coastal vulnerability,

• provide new data and tools useful to local and regional players,

• build the capacity of managers, decision-makers and young researchers (masters, doctoral students, post-doctoral students).

Program topics

• Tuesday, September 30: coastal geomorphology, ecosystems, coastal communities

• Wednesday, October 1: integrated coastal zone management, public policies, field visit (beaches and mangroves)

• Thursday, October 2: tools and methods (in situ observations, drones, digital modelling), training, WACA-VAR plan and publication of a special issue

Organization

• Local committee: A. Ouattara, B. Komena, P. Cecchi

• International Committee: Grégoire O. Abessolo (Cameroon), Donatus B. Angnuureng (Ghana), Olusegun Dada (Nigeria), Rafael Almar (IRD, France)

Practical information

📍 Venue: Eylim Beach Resort Hotel, Grand-Bassam (reservations: eylimbeachbassam@gmail.com)

As with previous editions (2019, 2021, 2023), a special publication will bring together the most outstanding works presented during the workshop.