370KM coastline at risk of destruction

The Ghana Hydrological Authority (GHA) has revealed that 370 kilometres (km) of the country’s coastline are at risk of destruction due to sea waves and human activities.

The at-risk coastline forms two-thirds of the country’s 550km coastline stretch from the West to East which hosts some strategic installations and infrastructure that are currently being threatened by tidal waves.

Addressing a press conference in Accra Tuesday to drive home the concerns, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GHA, Dr John Kissi, said the 370km coastline required coastal protection to prevent further disasters in the areas at high risk.

He, however, added that 80km of the at-risk coastline is currently protected, leaving 290km in need of protection, while a third of the entire coastline, representing 180km, is deemed fairly stable with low vulnerability.  

“There is about a third of our coastline that is fairly stable and has low vulnerability. Now, two-thirds of it, which is about 370km stretch, is at risk. It's important for us to undertake coastal protection measures to protect that two-thirds of the coastline,” Dr Kissi stated.

He added that out of the 370km, there were eight ongoing projects at various stages of completion, and there were a couple that had been completed in the past, “summing up the 80-kilometre stretch, that leaves 290-kilometre stretch of our coastline unprotected”.

Affected national assets

Dr Kissi said some important national assets could be affected if immediate action was not taken to protect them from further destruction by waves and other factors.

Those to be safeguarded include the Aboadze Power Enclave shoreline for the protection of national power installations such as the Takoradi Thermal Power Station (530MW) and the Twin Energy Station (200MW).

Also, the Duakor shorelines, Cape Coast, need protection for the Accra-Cape Coast-Takoradi Highway, the University of Cape Coast Campus, the St. Augustine SHS, and the Cape Coast Nursing and Midwifery Training College.

Others are the Shama-Anlo beach shorelines to protect coastal communities, and livelihoods and prevent potential severe erosion of Anlo beach, the CEO pointed out.

Dr Kissi also mentioned the Ezinlibo Coastal stretch for coastal towns from further erosion, protection of the Forward Operation Base for the Military, and infrastructures along the shoreline; the Ningo-Prampram shoreline for protection of tourism activities and infrastructure; and the Blekusu coastline protection for the entire coastal stretch of the Denu-Aflao highway.

The CEO of the GHA indicated that the vulnerability of the country’s coastline erosion had been due to the low lying nature of the coastline which made it susceptible to flooding and erosion; wave actions; relative rising sea levels due to climate change; human activities such as urban development and construction.

Again, activities of sand mining from beaches and river beds  deplete the natural coastal defences; the construction of dams and harbours disrupts natural sediment flow leading to increased coastal erosion, as well as the removal of vegetation cover.

Support, appeal

Dr Kissi lauded the government for some projects it had initiated that were at various stages of completion.

He, however, called on the state and the private sector to invest a bit more in the areas at risk to protect the various national assets and the communities.

“We are urging government to invest a bit more, especially in those areas, to protect those strategic assets. We are also calling on the private sector, some of which have businesses along this coastline that are at risk to partner with the GHA and invest in coastal protection works, and also contribute to our national hydrological fund to help us generate sufficient funds to invest in some of these areas,” Dr Kissi said.