The African Venice as a colonial city Saint Louis is absorbed by the ocean

The city of Saint-Louis, the old colonial capital of Senegal, is gradually flooded by the Atlantic ocean. The city is located on a narrow island (just 2 km long and 400 m wide) in the Senegal river, 25 km from its mouth. Alas, maybe soon this place became part of the UNESCO world heritage, will disappear completely and many people will lose the roof over his head.

Namesake of the American city, Senegal's Saint-Louis retains much of its colonial architecture. Saint-Louis was the capital of the French colony of Senegal from 1673 to 1902, and capital of French West Africa from 1895 to 1902, when the capital was moved to Dakar. From 1920 to 1957 it also served as the capital of the neighboring colony of Mauritania.

Saint-Louis is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The traditional buildings, despite the dilapidated state, retains a touch of the picturesque.

This island city — one of the towns in Africa that are most affected by changes in Global sea level.

The Senegalese government monitored flooded houses on the coast of Saint-Louis.

When the local can no longer live in them, they plan to move to a camp, where people often live with three or four other families in the same room.

According to a study commissioned by the government of Senegal, 80% of the territory of Saint-Louis by 2080 will at risk of flooding, and 150,000 people will lose the roof over his head.

Due to global climate change most coastal cities in West Africa, home to 105 million people, will face similar challenges.