MARINE CAPACITY BUILDING IN NORTH AND WEST-AFRICA

The North and West African coastal and marine areas discussed in this paper consist of the countries from Morocco to Libya for North Africa, and from Morocco to South Africa (up to the Cape of Good Hope) in Wes t Africa. These marine areas consist of a wide to narrow continental s helf, estuaries, lagoons, coastal plains, isolated mountains, mangrove s and wetlands. These areas are centres of productive socioeconomic ac tivities with a high population density, vast fisheries, and mineral r esources. Presently, these resources are exploited with little attenti on far the environmental consequences. Sustainable management of the m arine environment and its resources requires effective management plan s and a human capacity to formulate, implement and monitor these plans . However, most of the countries still lack funds, human and infrastru ctural capacity for the management of their marine territories and its resources. Though there are many universities, research institutes an d private organisations with a modest infrastructure for both data and information handling and the management of the marine environment, th e region still lags behind in human and infra-structural capacity. Exi sting capacity development programmes by United Nations agencies, gove rnments, universities, nongovernmental agencies, have so far not been very effective. A vigorous marine capacity building effort is needed t oensure the sustainable management of the marine environment In this A frican region. Externally funded programmes with a focus ensuring tech nology cooperation are needed. Such programmes must be based on mutual co-operation and participation of scientists and administrators from the region at all levels of programme formulation, implementation and assessment. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.