Island in Senegal Fights Loss of Coastal Land

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Island in Senegal Fights Loss of Coastal¹ Land

On Diogue Island in southern Senegal, local people are using simple wooden structures with coconut² tree fronds³ to save coastal land.

They are trying to prevent erosion⁴ that threatens parts of West Africa's Atlantic coast.

In West Africa, the coast is home to more than half of the economic activity. And about one third of the population lives along the coast. In some areas, half-covered trees and flooded buildings show what erosion has done.

Angele Diatta is head of the women's group in the village of Diogue Diola. She said, "The ocean was so far away that we used to hear it without seeing it." Now, high tides sometimes move through homes in the village.

Many rivers feed into the ocean along the West African coast. The United Nations says this makes it among the areas most affected⁵ by rising sea levels, increasing saltwater, and flooding.

On Diogue Island, a method of driving groups of wooden sticks into the wet sand is helping⁶ to protect some areas on the island. The project's organizers say these areas have expanded by around 30 meters since 2019.

Gilbert Bassene is a primary school teacher who has been helping build the defenses against the sea. He described the process of expansion. "Whenever we gain ground, we can extend the structure, add more sticks, as they say little by little the bird makes its nest."

These barriers are based on a model created in Canada. A study by scientists at the University of Quebec said the method protects coasts without causing the loss of sediment⁷ in other places. The coconut fronds trap sand on the beach, preventing it from washing away.

"With the little that we have, we can achieve extraordinary work," Bassene said on the coast, where children had gathered to watch him work.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Coastal Conservation found that efforts like those by the people of Diogue are not enough. Coasts in West Africa are still shrinking.

Some people on Diogue do not believe they can beat this problem. The village chief, Cherif Diatta, said: "It's not easy to admit, but one day the village will have to move."

Words in This Story

frond– n. a large, long leaf

erosion – n. the slow destruction of something by natural forces

tide – n. the regular upward and downward movement of the level of the ocean that is caused by the pull of the Sun and the Moon on the Earth

achieve– v. to get or reach (something) by working hard

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 coconut   

n.椰子

参考例句：

• The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
• The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。

3 fronds   

n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You can pleat palm fronds to make huts, umbrellas and baskets. 人们可以把棕榈叶折叠起来盖棚屋，制伞，编篮子。 来自百科语句
• When these breezes reached the platform the palm-fronds would whisper. 微风吹到平台时，棕榈叶片发出簌簌的低吟。 来自辞典例句

4 erosion   

n.腐蚀，侵蚀，磨损，削弱，减少

参考例句：

• The erosion of beach here is serious.这里海岸的腐蚀很严重。
• Drought and soil erosion had long been a major problem.干旱和水土流失一直是个老大难问题。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 sediment   

n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物)

参考例句：

• The sediment settled and the water was clear.杂质沉淀后，水变清了。
• Sediment begins to choke the channel's opening.沉积物开始淤塞河道口。