Shoreline morphological change in West Africa: Ghana’s experience Seminar

Event details

Shoreline change has increased coastal erosion along the West African coast, which has destroyed the coastal environment and threatens coastal investments. Coastal erosion is a critical issue and has become the centre of debate in the sub-region in recent times. Coastal areas in West Africa are home to about 31% of the region’s population and growing at a rate of about 4 percent annually. The coast also accounts for 56% of the region’s GDP. Managing coastal erosion is consuming between 5 to 10 percent of the GDP of affected countries, which is a significant sum for the economies of developing countries. Although erosion is largely a natural process, human activities have exacerbated its impact within the coastal zone. Such activities directly impact the coast and indirectly influence the coastal processes by reducing the capacity of the coastal ecosystem to cope with natural phenomena. Coastal erosion in Ghana has destroyed coastal infrastructure ranging from urban areas to small fishing villages, threatens important cultural and historical resources, hindered coastal tourism development, and affected the socioeconomic life of the local population. Twenty five erosion hot spots have been identified along the Ghana coast with varying erosion intensity and drivers. Mitigation efforts by the government to manage the erosion situation have transferred the problem from one location to another. The situation is further worsened by the lack of effective policies and the adhoc approach adopted in coastal erosion management. This presentation critically assesses the causes of coastal erosion in the sub-region, focusing on Ghana’s experience and their impact on the socioeconomic life of coastal communities under climate change scenarios. The presentation ends with recommendations for sustainable management of the coastal zone. No registration required