"The advance of the water is damaging many houses around and the cabanas. At one time there was no water here, only sand, and we used to play football here."

 

 But now the sea reaches right up to erode houses, destroyed over time by the waves. Scientists in Senegal say the average coastline erosion is three to six feet per year, with some areas much worse.

 

"Along the Senegalese coastline, the mean (meaning the average) range of coastal erosion is between one and two meters per year, but in some parts it can be much more than that. We have measured, for example, along the southern coast some speed rates of about 180 meters per year."

 

In another village, closer to the Senegalese capital of Dakar, the Senegalese government has built a wall for protection from the seawater.

 

"The sea has destroyed many things. Before, the sea was one kilometer away from the village; now the sea has taken everything."

 

But environmentalists see the seawall as only a short-term solution.

 

"There is no viable long-term solution. For me, building a wall is not a long-term solution. The sea will not be stopped by a seawall. We talk about climate change. For that, we need global response."

 

Climate scientists this week are discussing coastline erosion and other data on global warming at a Copenhagen conference. The data could lead to a new global agreement on greenhouse gases when politicians meet in Copenhagen for the United Nations climate talks in December of this year.