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The Centre for International Maritime Affairs Ghana, CIMAG, reiterates the call for a more sustainable approach to tackling the sea erosion devastation on Ghana’s coastline, rather than the current stop-gap measure being taken.
The Executive Director of CIMAG, Albert Derrick Fiatui, speaking on the Breakfast Café on Woezor TV, lauded the swift response by the government for the resumption of the Blekusu sea defence wall to save Agavedzi, Asalakorpe Amutinu, and the adjoining communities in that enclave from further destruction.
However, Mr. Fiatui, who lauded government’s swift response to the emergency is noted that, “We at CIMAG maintain that rock sea defence wall a temporary measure, because it in turn destroys the marine environment and coastal biodiversity apart from being temporary”. The intensified negative effect of the occurrence spreads to other areas thereby exacerbating the situation.
Mr. Fiatui, cited innovative and environmentally friendly methods deployed in other jurisdictions and the need to adopt nature-based approach in dealing with the challenge. “Additionally, there is a Greek technology called ‘reshore technology’ adopted in Taiwan which is used to weaken the wave energy to protect the coast properly and permanently”. He emphasised. Mr. Fiatui, disclosed that as a maritime and environmental research and policy think tank, CIMAG has been doing some works on the subject and will soon present the findings to the government for the appropriate actions, and affirmed CIMAG’s readiness to lend its expertise in resolving the growing menace.
The Executive Director of CIMAG, sought the occasion to enquire about the state of the World Bank funded West Africa Coastal Management Programme, WACAP, saying “We want to ask government and the Ministry of Environment what has become of that funding which was released last year, and whether that is part of this project that is being udertaken”. He thefore drew attention to the programme which includes the planting of mangroves as nature-based approach to tackling the problem.
Dr. Sylvester Darko, the Acting. CEO of the Ghana Hydrological Authority, admitted CIMAG’s position on the use of natural solutions to solve the natural phenomenon and assured of blending the two methods since the natural solution takes a longer period to yield the expected results.
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, in response to Mr. Fiatui’s question about Denu and Aflao areas after completion of the Blekusu sea defence wall said, the WACAM project begins from where the ongoing eight kilometres sea defence project ends covering Denu, Aflao and the rest of the coastline on that enclave. Mr. Gunu, also disclosed that some interim measures are being undertaken to resettle the affected people while awaiting the completion of the project in the next few years.
CIMAG has over the year been proffering nature-based and eco-friendly solutions that are long-term based to confront the impact of the Atlantic Ocean on coastal communities for a resilient coastal protection. The onus however lies on the government to tap into this expertise ideas of the CIMAG in addressing the growing natual phenomenon.
