Building Coastal Resilience Through An Integrated Approach: Lessons From Ghana
Story By: Michael Sarpong Mfum
Ghana loses an average of two meters of its coastline annually to coastal erosion. In some areas, the rate of erosion measured rose by as much as 17 meters, a study published by the Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies said.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has outlined several policy measures implemented by the government to address the degradation of Ghana’s coastal landscape.
Speaking at the third Biennial Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment in Accra on Monday, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the ocean’s vital contributions to the nation while warning that its sustainability is under threat from various forms of degradation.
He highlighted key challenges such as coastal erosion due to rising sea levels, pollution from municipal waste, chemical contaminants from illegal mining, and the over-exploitation of fisheries through illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
Dr. Bawumia expressed concern over the rapid deterioration of ocean health, driven by both human activities and natural causes. He detailed the government’s initiatives aimed at reversing this trend and fostering a sustainable ocean economy.
“In recent times, the Government of Ghana has taken significant steps to promote sustainable ocean management,” he said. “One of these steps includes the President’s participation in the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a global initiative comprising 17 world leaders committed to fostering a sustainable ocean economy.”
To reinforce this effort, Ghana hosted its first-ever National Blue Economy Summit in May/June 2023 under the theme ‘Our Ocean’s Health, Our Prosperity, Our Planet’s Security.’
Dr. Bawumia further noted that the government secured a $150 million loan from the World Bank under the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) program to combat coastal degradation.
The government has also intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by regulating foreign fishing vessels’ licenses, inspecting their fishing gear, and denying licenses to non-compliant operators. Additionally, the introduction of a digitized pre-mix fuel system for artisanal fishermen aims to minimize issues such as hoarding, politicization, and fuel diversion.
Efforts are also underway to reduce the number of boats in the artisanal fishing sector to promote sustainability.
Drawing inspiration from the African Union’s initiatives, Dr. Bawumia underscored Ghana’s commitment to leveraging its extensive coastline to accelerate development through an inclusive and sustainable Blue Economy.
The third Biennial Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment was held under the theme “Inclusive Blue Economy in Africa: Towards Sustainable Transformation and Resilience of the Marine Environment.” The event was organized by the Centre for Coastal Management Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM-ACECoR) at the University of Cape Coast in partnership with strategic stakeholders, including the World Bank, WACA, USAID, and the Vulnerability to Viability Global Partnership.
Rock Sea Defence Not Permanent Solution To Save Ghana’s coastline
The Center for International Maritime Affairs Ghana (CIMAG) has stated that using rocks as a sea defense is not a sustainable solution to the country’s coastal erosion problem.
Speaking on a Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) media platform, Mr. Albert Derrick Fiatui, the Executive Director of CIMAG, emphasized that extensive research conducted by the organization revealed that sea defense walls alone are insufficient to address the challenges posed by erosion and tidal waves.
He highlighted the urgent need to protect Ghana’s 550-kilometer coastline, the longest in West Africa from the accelerating impact of coastal erosion and tidal wave destruction. According to Mr. Fiatui, the country is rapidly losing its picturesque coastline, which stretches from Axim to Aflao.
“There is an urgent need to act if we want to preserve the beauty of our coastlines. When we began our studies about a year ago, the rate of coastal recession was approximately 2.2 meters annually, compared to an average of 0.6 meters globally. Currently, some areas are experiencing recession rates as high as six meters. In certain communities that have been completely overtaken, it is no longer possible to measure the rate of recession,” he said.
Mr. Fiatui explained that in developed countries, combating coastal erosion involves more than just erecting sea defense walls. While these walls serve as temporary measures, they are typically followed by comprehensive, long-term solutions.
He further noted that sea defense walls can inadvertently worsen the problem by causing erosion to spread to adjacent areas. “When you build a sea wall, the surrounding regions often come under attack. Additionally, coastal biodiversity is severely impacted. As advocates for environmental protection, we believe this approach is not the right path forward,” he added.
