The World Bank Group is launching a Call for Innovation under the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA) to bridge the gap between innovators and port developers/owners to build sustainable and integrated coastal management. The call is part of the WACA Resilience Investment Project (WACA ResIP), a multi-country regional project that aims to support present assets and strengthen the resilience of coastal communities for Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Togo. The project supported them develop multi-sectoral investment planning processes, culminating in WACA Multi Sector Investment Plans (MSIPs).

THE CHALLENGE
The challenge is to identify innovative and feasible solutions to fight coastal erosion and flooding issues associated with the ongoing development of large commercial ports and maritime operations in the six countries. In most cases, existing ports were built with limited if no zero planning and considerations of potential exacerbation of coastal erosion. The significant threat is that this shortcoming is also occurring in the
design and construction of new ports. The scope is to identify innovations that allow to avoid, mitigate, and remediate the geomorphological and ecological impacts associated with existing and planned commercial ports in West Africa.

WHO MAY APPLY?
Participants could be a single entity, or a consortium made of more entities. To be eligible an entity has to be a university (public or private), a research organization (public or private), or a private enterprise (i.e. an engineering firm, a construction firm, or a consulting group). An entity is allowed to submit one proposal application only.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES
Applicants are requested to submit a proposal for one of the four thematic challenges and clearly indicate in their application which one they have chosen to address.  Applicants are encouraged to focus on one solution at the time. Proposal addressing two, three, or all four thematic challenges are allowed. However, proposed solutions will have to be clearly separated by thematic area.
• Thematic Challenge 1. Which type of infrastructure (green, grey, or a combination of both) could be put in place to manage the impact of port development and port management on sediment movements which lead to unwanted coastal erosion?
• Thematic Challenge 2. Which planning measures and port and lagoon operation management practices could be taken upstream to reduce environmental impacts, coastal erosion and lagoon/canal water quality and flow management in particular?
• Thematic Challenge 3. What new features of Public Private Partnerships (PPP), business models, and contracting options could be proposed to take sustainability into account in the design and management of maritime transport related infrastructures?
• Thematic Challenge 4. What are examples of good global practices in ports and lagoons management and successful case studies that could be proposed to West African countries to better manage the cumulative environmental impact of existing port operations and predict consequences of future infrastructures?

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, go to the website wacaprogram.org, click on Call for Innovation, download the form, fill it out by responding to the five questions and send it to waca@worldbank.org
by March 27, 2020.

For more information, see flyer.