By Agnes Ansah
Accra, Nov. 5, GNA – Ghana is considering the adoption of nature-based solutions in the protection of its coastal lands from erosion, the Water Resources Commission has said.
The nature-based solutions, including mangroves, dunes and sediments at the country’s coast, is expected to provide sustainable coastal protection, deliver environmental, social, economic and climate adaptation benefits and provide support for biodiversity.
Professor Kwasi Appeaning Addo, a Researcher with the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, said there was the need to shift towards nature-based, soft engineering and ecosystem-based approaches.
Prof Addo said this when he chaired a two-day national dialogue on nature-based solutions for protecting Ghana’s Coast, organised by the Water Resources Commission, Ghana Hydrological Authority and Dutch Water Authorities, in Accra.
He said doing so would ensure the protection of the country’s coastal lands, noting that ‘hard engineering’ interventions like the construction of sea defences were not sustainable, in addition to “being expensive to maintain, environmentally damaging and counterproductive.”
Citing the Keta Sea Defence project in the Volta Region as an example, Prof. Addo said studies proved that coastal erosion intensified at the base of the project, a situation that necessitated further intervention.
“Nature-based intervention will not only help mitigate erosion but also strengthen the local economy and ensure that coastal resources support livelihoods for generations through the preservation of biodiversity,” he said.
“There is a pressing need to shift towards nature-based, soft engineering and ecosystem-based approaches to protect our coastal lands. Nature based solutions help to provide sustainable coastal protection, it delivers environmental, social, economic and climate adaptation benefits that extend beyond erosion control and supports biodiversity of coastal communities,” he said.
Prof. Addo indicated that the nature-based solution was in line with the President Mahama’s vision of achieving a Blue Economy, in that protecting coastal lands using natural methods would impact Ghana’s waters positively.
He alluded that most countries were shifting from hard engineering and Ghana should not be left behind, adding that the country should strike a balance between protecting the country’s coast from erosion and safeguarding the environment.
Madam Naa Kwarle Quartey, the Deputy Managing Director, Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL), who read a speech on behalf of the Works and Housing Minister, called on policy makers, scientist and community leaders to explore how nature-based solutions could be used to safeguard Ghana’s coast.
She noted that securing the coast was important, considering that it was home to nearly five million people and served as a habitat for birds and plants.
She added that the coast was also an avenue for creating livelihood for people as it serves as a site for tourism, power production plants, fishing and farming.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe