Coastal Protection in West Africa Gets a Drone Boost as WACA-VAR Deploys Aerial Mapping for Climate Resilience

West Africa’s coastline is under growing pressure. From rising sea levels and coastal erosion to unregulated development and sediment disruption, communities along the Atlantic shoreline are confronting the real and accelerating impacts of climate change. In response, a regional initiative is combining cutting-edge satellite monitoring with drone-based aerial surveys to strengthen coastal protection infrastructure and climate adaptation planning.

The West Africa Coastal Areas – Value and Resilience (WACA-VAR) initiative, highlighted by the Space Climate Observatory in July 2025, is deploying drone measurement campaigns across vulnerable coastal sites, including Dansoman in Ghana and St Louis in Senegal. The goal is clear: generate high-resolution data that improves the design, monitoring, and validation of coastal defense systems.

Drones and Satellites: A Data-Driven Approach to Coastal Resilience

Traditional coastal monitoring methods often rely on ground surveys and static measurements, which can be time-consuming, costly, and limited in scope. WACA-VAR integrates satellite observations with drone-based aerial imagery to provide dynamic, detailed mapping of shoreline conditions.

In early 2025, drone flights conducted over selected sites collected imagery to map beach topography, nearshore bathymetry, and coastal structures such as groins—engineered barriers built perpendicular to the shore to manage sediment transport and reduce erosion.

These drone campaigns were not exploratory experiments. According to the Space Climate Observatory’s report “WACA-VAR in the field” (2 July 2025), the aerial data played a critical role in validating predictive models related to groin performance and sediment movement control. By comparing modeled projections with high-resolution drone imagery, engineers and coastal planners were able to assess whether erosion mitigation measures were functioning as intended.

This model validation process is particularly important in climate adaptation infrastructure. Coastal defense systems must respond not only to present-day wave and sediment dynamics but also to future sea-level rise scenarios. Accurate, real-world measurements help refine those projections and ensure that public investments in coastal protection are grounded in reliable evidence.

Ghana’s Dansoman: Monitoring Shoreline Stability

In Dansoman, a coastal suburb of Accra, Ghana, erosion has long posed a threat to homes, roads, and community infrastructure. As with many urban coastal areas in West Africa, shoreline retreat has been driven by both natural processes and human activity.

Through WACA-VAR’s integrated satellite and drone measurement campaigns, researchers were able to produce detailed digital elevation models of the beach and surrounding structures. Drone imagery captured subtle variations in sand accumulation and erosion patterns that are difficult to detect from ground level alone.

This data supports ongoing climate resilience projects by enabling more precise mapping of beach topography and sediment distribution. For urban planners and engineers, such insights are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of installed groin systems and planning future interventions.

By strengthening the data backbone behind coastal infrastructure projects, the initiative is helping ensure that adaptation strategies are not only reactive but anticipatory.

St Louis, Senegal: Protecting a Vulnerable Coastal City

Further west along the Atlantic coast, St Louis in Senegal faces its own coastal challenges. The historic city, located near the mouth of the Senegal River, has experienced significant shoreline change in recent years.

Under the WACA-VAR initiative, drone surveys in St Louis mapped both beach morphology and bathymetry—the underwater topography that influences wave behavior and sediment transport. Bathymetric mapping is particularly critical in understanding how offshore features interact with wave energy before it reaches the shore.

The combination of satellite data and drone imagery allows researchers to link large-scale coastal trends with localized structural performance. This multi-scale approach enhances the accuracy of coastal erosion models and supports evidence-based climate adaptation planning.

According to the Space Climate Observatory’s reporting, the early 2025 drone flights in both Ghana and Senegal were instrumental in validating models used to guide sediment management and infrastructure design. The validation process strengthens confidence in the broader regional strategy for coastal resilience.

Why Drone Technology Matters for West Africa’s Climate Adaptation

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in coastal protection projects represents a significant shift in how climate adaptation infrastructure is monitored and managed.

Drone technology offers several advantages:

1. High-resolution data: Aerial imagery captures fine-scale topographic details, enabling precise mapping of beaches and coastal structures.

2. Cost-effective surveys: Compared to repeated ground campaigns, drone flights can cover large areas efficiently.

3. Rapid deployment: UAVs can be deployed after storms or extreme weather events to assess damage and update models quickly.

4. Integration with satellite systems: When combined with satellite observations, drones provide both macro and micro perspectives on coastal change.

In regions where climate change impacts are intensifying, the ability to monitor shoreline dynamics in near real time is invaluable. Coastal protection infrastructure—such as groins, seawalls, and sediment control systems—must be continuously evaluated to ensure they are performing as designed.

The WACA-VAR initiative demonstrates how unmanned aerial data can strengthen climate resilience projects by bridging the gap between theoretical models and on-the-ground realities.

A Regional Model for Coastal Resilience

West Africa’s coastline spans multiple countries, ecosystems, and urban centers. Erosion in one area can affect sediment supply and shoreline stability elsewhere. As such, regional coordination is essential.

By operating across countries like Ghana and Senegal, WACA-VAR provides a framework for harmonized coastal monitoring and data sharing. Satellite-based observation ensures consistency at the regional scale, while drone campaigns deliver site-specific precision.

The Space Climate Observatory’s spotlight on the initiative underscores the growing role of space-based and aerial technologies in climate adaptation. Rather than relying solely on infrastructure construction, the emphasis is shifting toward continuous monitoring, model validation, and data-driven decision-making.

As climate risks intensify along the Atlantic coast, such approaches may become standard practice in coastal management strategies across West Africa.

Strengthening Infrastructure Through Evidence

Ultimately, the success of coastal protection efforts depends not just on engineering solutions, but on the quality of the data informing them. In Dansoman and St Louis, drone imagery has enhanced understanding of sediment movement and structural performance. By validating predictive models, the WACA-VAR initiative is reinforcing the scientific basis for climate adaptation investments.

For coastal communities facing erosion, flooding, and sea-level rise, this integration of drone technology and satellite monitoring offers more than technical innovation—it represents a pathway toward more resilient, evidence-based infrastructure planning.

As West Africa navigates the challenges of climate change, aerial mapping and unmanned aerial vehicles are proving to be powerful tools in protecting vulnerable coastlines and safeguarding communities for the future.

Source: Space Climate Observatory – “WACA-VAR in the field” (2 Jul 2025)