By Gloria Anderson
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has handed over advanced marine-monitoring equipment to support research and efforts to address Ghana’s worsening coastal erosion.
The equipment was presented during the Second Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting and handing-over ceremony of the five-year SATREPS Project on Integrated Sediment and Environmental Management along the coast of Ghana and West Africa.
The project, valued at 400 million Japanese yen—approximately US$2.5 million—is being implemented by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in collaboration with JICA, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the University of Tokyo and relevant Ghanaian institutions.
It seeks to generate reliable scientific data to guide coastal protection, disaster-risk reduction and livelihood improvement in vulnerable communities.
Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor Denise Wolarnyo Ahitor, said Ghana’s coastline was eroding at an average rate of between one and two metres annually, with some hotspots requiring urgent intervention.
“Our coastline is eroding at an average of about one to two metres every year. The purpose of this project is to collect the scientific data needed to support effective and value-for-money coastal protection decisions,” he said.
The equipment includes buoys and sensors for measuring wave height, ocean depth, salinity and water quality. It will enable researchers to collect continuous data and assess changes in the marine and coastal environment.
Professor Ahitor said the project would also build the capacity of young Ghanaian scientists through training and collaborative research.
Professor Yoshimitsu Tajima of the Coastal Engineering Laboratory at the University of Tokyo said satellite observations conducted over about 20 years had revealed serious erosion around the Volta River and adjoining delta areas.
“The sediment discharge from the Volta River is decreasing rapidly. If this continues, Ghana could experience a much faster retreat of its shoreline in the near future,” he cautioned.
He explained that although groins and other coastal defence structures had protected some areas, they could interrupt the natural movement of sediment and worsen erosion in neighbouring communities.
“We must study the entire coastal system and identify countermeasures that will protect one area without creating another erosion problem downstream,” Professor Tajima said.
Principal Programme Specialist for Infrastructure and Planning, Mabe Biliwi Joshua, disclosed that some areas had recorded shoreline deterioration of more than 20 metres within the past year.
He said the equipment could remain operational for more than 10 years if properly maintained and protected.
“We need the cooperation of fishermen, coastal communities and relevant institutions to ensure that the equipment is not removed or tampered with,” Mr Joshua said.
Data collected during the project will be used to develop a predictive system for monitoring waves, tides, sea-level rise and shoreline changes. The findings are expected to guide government policy and help protect coastal communities, fisheries, tourism and other economic activities threatened by erosion.
