West and Central Africa

International actors and agreements in the region

See Global action and Global actors.

UNEP Regional Seas Programme. ••>

UNEP Global programme of action for the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities (UNEP GPA). ••>

UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). ••>

UNEP:s Regional Office for Africa (ROA). ••>

International Coral Reef Initiative and other organizations and networks on the threats to coral reefs, including the effects of oil . ••>

Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSnet). ••>

Regional conventions, agreements, action plans and actors

Convention for Co-operation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention). ••>

GEF International Waters projects. ••>

Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem Project. ••>

African Development Bank. ••>

Distance Learning and Information Sharing Tool (DLIST). An information sharing process focusing on the transboundary coastal zone of the Northern Cape, South Africa and Namibia. DLIST Benguela aims to assist coastal planners, managers and resource users implement effective integrated coastal zone management solutions.

Regional reports on the state of the marine and coastal environment

UNEP: Africa Environment Outlook. Pollution of Central Africa's Coastal and Marine Environment: "Marine pollution is a cause for concern in Central Africa, especially in the Gulf of Guinea extending from Guinea- Bissau in Western Africa to Gabon, and in the nearshore waters of oil-producing states. Sources of pollution include offshore oil exploration, coastal industries and oil refinery activities, and illegal activities including dumping of wastes at sea." See also Pollution of Western Africa's Coastal and Marine Environment.

UNECA: State of the Environment in Africa.

UNEP GPA: Overview on Land-based Sources and Activities Affecting the Marine, Coastal and Associated Freshwater Environment in the West and Central African Region.

UNEP GPA: West and Central African Region (brief description of environmental state, priority issues).

UNEP: Global Environment Outlook 3 (GEO3). Coastal and marine areas..

University of Rhode Island: Large Marine Ecosystems (LME): The region includes the Canary Current, the Guinea Current, and the Benguela Current.

Private sector and NGOs actors and initiatives

Rainforest Action Network (RAN): Oil report: Africa.

Oilwatch. ••>

International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF). ••>

International Directory of Oil Spill Cleanup Contractors and Response Organisations. ••>

International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA). See for example case studies of oil activities in sensitive areas in Gabon and Angola. ••>



There is a huge new boom in oil exploration throughout Central Africa, for example in Cameroon, Chad, the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Angola. According to a report by Rainforest Action Network, 349,020 km of seismic lines have been cut in the last decade.During that period, 530 exploration wells have been drilled, 84 new exploration awards have been granted and an average area 169,000 sq km has been placed under license for new exploration. Map: © Rainforest Action Network.