As mentioned above, particularly in the introduction, there is no scientific information on topographic subsidence in Saint-Louis, particularly on the Langue de Barbarie. Yet this highly anthropized section of Senegalese coastline, established on a sandy facies with a low gradient, is extremely vulnerable to coastal hazards (erosion and coastal flooding) [
29,
30,
38,
39,
40,
41] Today, in a context of climate change and the exploitation of oil and gas resources in Saint-Louis, a study focusing on the problem of coastal subsidence seems important. The topographic subsidence rates obtained clearly show that a large part of Saint-Louis is sinking downwards, which could have considerable impacts for an amphibious city like Saint-Louis, marked by its openness to the Atlantic coast and the presence of the river. This region in the Senegal River delta is highly vulnerable. Coastal plains and deltaic regions are the areas most affected worldwide by sea-level rise and subsidence [
5,
42,
43].The increase in extreme coastal water levels due to the combination of subsidence and sea-level rise is proving more serious than sea-level rise alone (
Figure 3). This shows that topographic subsidence has a strong impact on this section of the Senegalese coastline. This observation is in line with studies by [
5,
44].The combination of subsidence and SLR predicts a range of inundation and submersion extents that may affect Saint-Louis, including the Langue de Barbarie (
Figure 4). Starting with coastal flooding patterns due to subsidence and sea-level rise, the total area affected reaches 29 km
2 by 2040, 31 km
2 by 2050, 36 km
2 by 2100, and affects almost all of Saint-Louis, particularly the Langue de Barbarie. The extent of inundation due to sea-level rise and the combined effect of land subsidence and sea-level rise were assessed taking into account several sea-level rise projections according to the RCP 2.6 scenario. The RCP2.6 scenario corresponds to an emissions volume equal to the Paris Agreement targets, in which there is a 2015 emissions reduction [
45]. Thus, there is a minimization of the floodable surfaces of the Langue de Barbarie depending on the scenario chosen. Otherwise, if there is no reduction in emissions, the projected submersible surfaces will be far exceeded. If further acceleration in sea-level rise is expected, the already problematic situation will worsen. Our results also show that the projected potential for coastal inundation is increasing more and more under the effect of factors related to rising sea levels and subsidence. This finding is also by [
46] in Louisiana, USA, [
47] along the US Atlantic coast; [
48] in South Florida, USA; [
49] in Germany; [
50] in Jakarta, Indonesia; [
51,
52] in Italy; [
53] in Shanghai, China; [
54] in Semarang, Indonesia; [
55,
56] in Messolonghi and Aitolikon, Greece; [
37] Brempong in the Volta delta, Ghana; [
23] in Taiwan; [
18,
22,
53,
57,
58,
59] in China. The general pattern of subsidence indicates very high values in the northern part of the Langue de Barbarie, the island of Saint-Louis and its central part, while areas to the south of the Langue de Barbarie and the island of Saint-Louis have experienced minimal subsidence. Today, with climate change leading to a rise in sea level and a high occurrence of marine storms, the vulnerability of this site to coastal flooding is a reality. Although rainfall is not taken into account in this study, the average total rainfall accumulation can sometimes reach several hundred millimetres, which will increase the river's flow. What's more, given its amphibious character marked above all by the presence of the river in a context of gradual return of rains in the Sahel [
60,
61,
62], the risk of fluvial overflow exacerbated by soil subsidence and a rise in the river's water level induced by the gradual return of rains is obvious. The same observation is made by [
63,
64], who show that the city of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam is subject to fluvial flooding due to the subsidence of the topography and the increased flow of the Saigon River.Our results are in line with those produced by [
65,
66], in the Mekong delta in Vietnam, in Spain in the Seville river by [
67] ; [
68] in Poland in the Chechło river; [
69] in Hungary and [
44] in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta and [
70] in the Fraser River delta. Today, many factors are indexed by the scientific community as being the cause of subsidence. These include earthquakes, sea-level rise, infrastructure development and sediment transport. "Subsidence is a geological phenomenon in which the ground level sags or subsides for a variety of reasons [
11]. This can occur naturally or due to human activities such as groundwater extraction, oil and gas extraction and construction activities [
5,
71,
72,
73,
74,
75,
76,
77]. But in Saint-Louis, the factors associated with pumping the aquifer for water supply seem to be neglected. On the other hand, one of the main causes could be the characteristics of the sediments and their compaction. Located in the Senegal River Delta, the sedimentary structures of Saint-Louis are mainly occupied by a variety of deposits (clays and especially silts and fine sands), all of which are described as fluvio-deltaic [
78]. According to [
10,
12,
72,
79,
80,
81,
82], natural compaction of sediments can be an explanatory factor for subsidence. This sediment compaction can result from increased surface loading, such as the accumulation of new sediments or the construction of heavy infrastructure. Heavy infrastructure can be a trigger for topographic subsidence [
83], especially in loose structures. According to [
64], the weight of buildings leads to mechanical settlement of soils, which amplifies the subsidence trend. On an 2.15 Km stretch of the Langue de Barbarie, a protective dike was under construction over the time sequence chosen to track topographical subsidence. In fact,
Figure 2 shows that the linear stretch of the Langue de Barbarie where the dike is being built (north and center) appears to have the highest subsidence rates. In addition, the natural deposition of river and marine sediments could explain this phenomenon of topographical subsidence. In fact, according to [
10], one of the main causes of subsidence in coastal regions is the natural deposition of sediments. As sediments are deposited in these areas, their weight compresses the underlying soils, forcing them to compact, which can cause changes in the underlying geological structures.The results show that the Langue de Barbarie is highly vulnerable to coastal flooding induced by sea-level rise and subsidence. The results of this study could form a solid basis for sustainable development and disaster prevention policies in the city of Saint-Louis and its coastline. Today, climate change amplifies coastal risks, combined with the absence of a coercive legislative framework, an institutional framework, an effective adaptation plan and the implementation of a coastal risk prevention plan, mean that this coastline remains vulnerable to coastal hazards. Even though the results show an increased vulnerability of the Langue de Barbarie, there is virtually no coastal risk prevention plan in place. Indeed, according to [
84], few if any African coastal cities are prepared to cope with the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change, particularly sea-level rise. Today, it is imperative to turn the research cursor towards adaptation scenarios to coastal hazards on the Langue de Barbarie, and to identify useful avenues for improving public measures relating to the vulnerability and resilience of low-lying sandy coastlines, notably the Langue de Barbarie.