The coastal zone of The Gambia, which contributes 36% to the country’s GDP, has experienced considerable transformation due to increased socioeconomic development and urbanisation. This growth has significantly altered the coastal landscape, intensifying pressure on the environment and increasing vulnerability to climate hazards. A study used cloud-free Landsat imagery from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 for assessing land use and land cover (LULC) changes and population growth. The analysis classified LULC into five categories: barren land, built-up areas, vegetation cover, water bodies, and wetlands. The findings highlighted dramatic changes in LULC over the past three decades. Barren land increased by 46%, and built-up areas surged by 680%. In contrast, vegetation cover decreased by 35%, water bodies by 31%, and wetlands by 14%. These transformations correlate with rising population densities along the coastline, particularly within 10–25 km of the shore. The substantial growth in built-up areas and reduction in vegetation are directly linked to urbanisation and population pressure. This rapid change exacerbates the vulnerability of coastal communities to extreme weather events such as flooding and tropical windstorms. To address these challenges, it is crucial for the government and stakeholders to implement policies that manage coastal congestion and encourage development in inland regions. Such measures should consider the impacts of population growth on coastal environments and aim to ensure the long-term sustainability of The Gambia’s coastal ecosystems by mitigating risks associated with climate change.

The coastal zone of The Gambia, which contributes 36% to the country’s GDP, has experienced considerable transformation due to increased socioeconomic development and urbanization. This growth has significantly altered the coastal landscape, intensifying pressure on the environment and increasing vulnerability to climate hazards. A study assessing land cover changes and population growth used cloud-free Landsat imagery from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. The analysis classified land cover into five categories: barren land, built-up areas, vegetation cover, water bodies, and wetlands. The findings highlighted dramatic changes in land cover over the past three decades. Barren land increased by 46%, and built-up areas surged by 680%. In contrast, vegetation cover decreased by 35%, water bodies by 31%, and wetlands by 14%. These transformations correlate with rising population densities along the coastline, particularly within 10-25 km of the shore. The substantial growth in built-up areas and reduction in vegetation are directly linked to urbanization and population pressure. This rapid change exacerbates the vulnerability of coastal communities to climate-related hazards such as flooding and tropical windstorms. To address these challenges, it is crucial for the government and stakeholders to implement policies that manage coastal congestion and encourage development in inland regions. Such measures should consider the impacts of population growth on coastal environments and aim to ensure the long-term sustainability of The Gambia’s coastal ecosystems by mitigating risks associated with climate change.

The Gambia’s coastal landscape has been negatively impacted by windstorms and climate related hazards over the past 30 years, resulting in loss of lives, livelihoods and infrastructure. This study assesses wind speed variability from 1990 to 2020 using Mann Kendall’s trend test and Sen’s slope estimator indicating a marginally increasing trend with a Sen’s slope of 0.144 and statistical significance at the 10% level ( p = 0.0614). In addition, a survey of 380 households across 10 coastal settlements was conducted to assess exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to windstorm hazards using a composite index approach based on 30 indicators (9 exposure, 10 sensitivity and 11 adaptive capacity indicators), which were normalized and equally weighted. The findings indicate that large household sizes and low income levels are key factors limiting the construction of durable, climate resilient housing. Additionally, 47% of surveyed houses were made of mud as the main construction material for the walls, while pit latrines represent 77% of toilets for household use. Furthermore, 98% of households rely on coastal vegetation such as mangroves for fuel and construction, thereby reducing the ecosystem services including natural windbreaks provided by plants and increasing their exposure to windstorm impact. Consequently, the vulnerability analysis conducted across the 10 coastal settlements revealed that most settlements recorded high vulnerability index scores above 0.50, with Gunjur (0.67) and Essau (0.65) among the most vulnerable, while Barra and Bakau Old Cape exhibited moderate vulnerability levels with index scores of 0.45 and 0.42, respectively. The risk assessment further indicated a high risk index score for Gunjur (0.51) and moderate risk index scores of 0.45, 0.42, 0.40 and 0.43 for Essau, Kotu, Brufut and Sanyang, respectively. Identifying the most vulnerable and at-risk settlements to windstorms is vital for prioritising protection efforts of the coastal inhabitants. Therefore, these findings underscore the importance of addressing locally identified drivers of vulnerability and risk and settlement specific adaptation strategies. These findings suggest that improvements in socioeconomic conditions, infrastructure, and living standards could significantly enhance the capacity of coastal communities to reduce the impacts of windstorms and other climate related hazards.

In many West African countries, a decoction of the trunk bark of Prosopis africana is used to heal wounds and fight against cancer. Leaves are also used to treat headaches and toothaches, as well as several other ailments. This was a cross-sectional study in which questionnaires were administered to 633 indigenous residents of 10 villages located in the Western Region of The Gambia. This study aims to identify ethnobotanical knowledge on the utilizations, threats, risks, and local management methods of Prosopis africana to provide data for its sustainable domestication. The relative frequency of citation was used to investigate ethnobotanical data. Descriptive statistics were also used to determine local perceptions of the species’ status, risk factors, and tactics used for its conservation. Chi-square and generalized linear models were applied to check the dependence between ethnic groups and variables. Three organs, namely leaves, stems, and roots are widely used for many purposes. In total, 4 main use forms were reported by local people for all organs, with the stem having a higher index value of useful organs (91%). The results of the generalized linear model performed on the perception of the status of Prosopis africana showed that there was a significant relationship between the Mandinkas’ (CL = -0.296–1.907 and p = 0.007) and the Jolas’ (CL = -0.032–1.656 and p =0.042). Local strategies for the species conservation of Prosopis africana in protected areas among the ethnic groups show that those living in Kombo South (X2 = 3.802, p = 0.010) and those from Kombo Central (X2 = 27.511, p = <0.001) were the only variables that significantly influenced the respondent’s knowledge on where the species should be grown. This study reveals the importance of Prosopis africana while also highlighting essential aspects to consider to successfully engage in its sustainable conservation.