Benin

In Benin, like most other coastal nations, a high proportion of the population and the largest city are on the coast. In Benin's case, half the nation's population live along the coast and in the city of Cotonou, in the Gulf of Guinea. The coastal location is important to Cotonou's economy but the coastal region is vulnerable to sea-level rise, with potentially catastrophic impacts on the economy, the population and natural systems. The continued advance of the sea, coastal erosion and the rise in sea level, exacerbated by human activity on the coast, have medium- and long-term consequences that are already threatening vulnerable communities and disrupting the least-protected sensitive ecosystems. 

Benin's National Adaptation Plan (2022) aims to strengthen Benin's resilience to climate change by reducing vulnerability, integrating climate adaptation into policies, and promoting sustainable development.

The main strategic priorities include promoting sustainable consumption and production practices, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems, and establishing multi hazard early warning systems for disasters such as floods and sea level rise. The plan outlines objectives to ensure resilient governance, effective natural resource management, and inclusive socio economic mechanisms to address climate risks while supporting national sectoral policies.