Lagoons provide an array of fundamental resources and ecosystem services that are necessary for the wellbeing of coastal communities in many parts of the world. However, the sustainability of lagoons and communities who rely on them are under increasing pressure from a complex set of interconnected issues. These are particularly acute in the global south where the impacts of sea level rise and climate change are compounded by increasing coastal populations, unsustainable resource use, habitat fragmentation, and environmental degradation.

This webinar looks at the current state of coastal lagoons and offers opportunities to address the issues they face, with a focus on coastal lagoons in West Africa.  

Our speaker

Dr Sian Davies-Vollum is Head of School of the Built and Natural Environment and Head of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at the University of Derby. She is a geoscientist who has developed and led university courses in environmental science and geoscience. Her research experience is broad and she has worked on a variety of international, multi-disciplinary sustainability focused projects. Her current research focuses on the sustainability of coastal environments and communities in West Africa and she co-leads the Resilient Lagoon Communities Network. She is the Executive Secretary of Universities Geoscience UK and chaired the recent review of the QAA benchmark statement that underpins Earth and Environmental Science/Studies degrees in the UK.