Coastal Erosion and Coastal Livelihood Activities in Ghana. A Case of Ada-Foah in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
- January 31, 2022
- Posted by: rsispostadmin
- Categories: IJRISS, Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
Emmanuel Agbenyegah Ayerteye
Social Studies Department, Mount Mary College of Education, Somanya, Ghana
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of coastal erosion and shoreline retreat on the livelihood activities of residents in the Ada-Foah area. To answer this research question, interview data were gathered from 30 participants comprising a sample of 20 residents of Ada-Foah, VRA, CDDF, NADMO, the District Assembly, the CRS, the Department of Wildlife, assemblymen, and chiefs, in connection with the major livelihood activities in the study area and how these have been impacted by erosion. From the data gathered, the major livelihood activities of the people in the study area were found to include: fishing, fish mongering, farming, salt mining, trading, and investment. Part of the data for answering this question was also obtained through field observation. The result of the study showed that coastal erosion has led to the loss of viable livelihood activities in the Ada-Foah areas creating survival problems for the coastal residents.
Keywords: coastal erosion. Livelihood, sustainability, dugout canoe, landing beach
Introduction
Coastal erosion is one of the most prevalent global environmental problems affecting many coastal communities around the world, causing damage to life and property as well as the coastal livelihood (Tripathy & Sunakars, 1999). As observed by Abbot (1999) the world’s coastlines are suffering major impact not only from tsunamis but also from smaller storms and everyday coastal processes (Abbot, 1999). According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 2003, Atlantic hurricane season saw the development of sixteen (16) named storms which are well above 1944 and 1996 average of 9.6 with a marked increase since the mid- 1990s. In 2003, Sri Lanka was hit by a cyclone that caused severe flooding, resulting in the loss of at least 250 lives (Larson & Simons, 2005).
The West Africa coastline has also shown the result of coastal erosion including the Maldives, Benin, Ghana, Lome in Togo, Nigeria (Gilbert, 1982). In Ghana, for instance, coastal erosion has affected several communities with significant social and economic impacts. In most of these coastal communities, there is a diverse economic resource base including fishing and farming which provide livelihood opportunities for the residents. There are sandy beaches, coconut groves, lagoons, swamps, and mangrove areas which also support tourism in these communities. All these, individually or in combination,
