Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in West African Coastal Communities: A Scoping Review

Climate change poses significant challenges to coastal communities in West Africa, including increased frequency of extreme weather events and sea level rise. A systematic search was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies published between and were included, with a focus on methodologies used for adaptation strategies. The review identified several common themes in climate change adaptation among coastal communities, including the use of early warning systems (EWS) which were applied by over 70% of the reviewed studies. While EWS proved effective, there is potential for further innovation and integration of traditional knowledge into modern adaptation strategies to enhance their effectiveness. Investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and community education programmes should be prioritised alongside continued research on new adaptation techniques. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.