Universities as Solutions to Twenty-First Century Coastal Challenges: Lessons from Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar University

The past 30 years have brought radical changes to coastal zones in West Africa. These areas have experienced rapid urban expansion and business growth, along with widespread overexploitation of natural resources. This chapter illustrates the process undertaken by a Senegalese university to shift its goals in order to increase understanding of the complex social-ecological systems affecting one another in West African coastal areas. This adjustment in university priorities has led to valuable contributions to national research and development systems, helping to facilitate sustainable management of coastal areas in this region.