PERNICIOUS DEGRADATION OF COASTAL ENVIRONMENT OF GABON: EXAMPLE OF THE NORTH COAST OF LIBREVILLE

Jean Damien Maloba Makanga

Omar Bongo university, Libreville, Gabon

Abstract

Gabon has, between Cocobeach and Mayumba, the longest coastline (more than 800 km) of Atlantic equatorial Africa (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo). The socioeconomic development of Libreville, the capital city, has been reflected in the construction of a number of infrastructures (roads, administration, housing buildings) and the setup of numerous economic activities (sand extraction from the dunes, hotels, harbour and airport structures), mainly along the coast. At first sight, the coastal natural areas to the north of Libreville seem healthy, to the extent that the beaches of this sector are often stormed by visitors during the weekend. Nevertheless, some indications (stemming from basic chemical analysis of marine waters but also from the existence of numerous solid wastes) seem to indicate that this coast is affected by pernicious pollutions which cause, among others aspects, the degradation of coastal environment. Also, the country has been trying to set up, since 2009, an economic policy which includes the development of industrial activities, some of which will be settled along the coast. There are, in particular, projects of construction of the new port in deep water of Mayumba, on one hand and the setting up of a special economic zone at Port-Gentil, on the other hand. If these projects were to succeed, they would contribute to widen the area disturbed by human activities along the coast of Gabon. Given the above evidence, this work thus aims at drawing the attention of the highest authorities of the country for the setting up of a policy devoted to protect the coastal fringe which is, at global scale, an environment whose importance and fragility were highlighted in several studies.

Full text .PDF