This Policy Brief is part of a series of 12 briefs.

They have been

developed with the aim of enhancing understanding and appre-
This EPA Policy Brief No: 4 ciation of Climate Change and Disaster Risk issues by the policy

PAS covers the crucial aspects of

rise in sea level as conse-
quence of Climate Change
makers and senior technocrats and to support them in taking
the urgently needed decisions. Its development has been coor-
dinated by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), supported
by National Development Planning Commission and NADMO (in

4 The Policy Brief Overview gives

the context and the background
of Climate Change and Disaster
collaboration with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies)
and through the financial support of UNDP - Ghana. We would
like to thank all those people and instituitions who have contrib-
uted to the development of this Policy Brief.

SEA LEVEL RISE - A PERIL TO GHANAS COAST LINE ?

Coastal ecosystems are among the most productive systems in the world. Predictions of sea level rise as
a result of global warming may pose risks to many coastal habitats spanning from terrestrial margins
across brackish systems to marine inter-tidal areas. With a quarter of the Ghanas population living be-
low the 30 meter level, an estimated sea level rise of 1 meter by 2100 could inundate 1,120 square kilo-
metres of land. Erosion, submergence and salinity increases will lead to the loss of economic, ecological,
cultural and subsistence values through loss of land, infrastructure and coastal habitats.
There are currently no national legislations that specifically target issues of the coastal zone. Existing en-
vironmental management policies have been inadequate due to low budgets and poor enforcement ca-
pacity. Climate Change, however, provides an opportunity for the nation to improve its path towards
sustainable development, by redefining its development strategies and taking advantage of existing sup-
port systems. Policy makers need to mainstream Climate Change vulnerabilities and adaptation consid-
erations into development plans and country policies. A well defined Integrated Coastal Zone Manage-
ment (ICZM) plan will also increase participation in the decision-making process and strengthen institu-
tions in the coastal zone.

Context of Climate Change in Ghana

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007), has confirmed that in the 21 st century,
global warming would be more intense in Africa than in the rest of the world. As global average sea levels
are affected by increases in global mean sea surface temperatures, there will be increases in ocean vol-
ume.

In Ghana, climate change scenarios based

on the forty-year observed data, predict an
average sea level rise of 5.8cm, 16.5cm and
34.5cm by 2020, 2050 and 2080 respec-
tively. The Ghanaian coastline is 550 km
long and generally covers a low lying area
of 30 m above sea level. This zone occupies
about 6.5% of Ghana and is home to about
25% of the population. Already, at the cur-
rent sea level, the Keta area (East Coast) is
In-
experiencing an annual coastal erosion rate creasing change in the sea level (IPCC, 2007)
of 3 meters.
 EPA Policy Brief No: 4

Importance of coastal zone and resources

The coastal zone is well endowed with resources
(fisheries, agriculture, aquaculture, transportation, salt
production, oil and gas, sand and stone winning, tourism
and recreation, ports, harbours, and industrial develop-
ments) which are exploited by different sectors of the
economy. The coastal fisheries and wetlands resources
provide a critical source of food security in Ghana.
About 10 percent of the population depends on coastal
fishery for livelihood, with 65% of all fish production
consumed locally at an approximate per capita rate of
25 kg/year. Fish is the countrys most important non-
traditional export, providing US$95 million in exports in Fishing village near Keta (Photo Courtesy: World Bank)
2003.

The lagoon, estuary and delta ecosystems provide suitable environments for shellfish and fish breeding,
as well as feeding,
roosting and resting
sites for local and mi-
gratory birds and ma-
rine turtles. The coast
also supports man-
groves, an important
ecosystem.

Mangroves along the Western Region

Beach front on the Eastern Coast

Impacts of Climate Change

While Africa produces less than 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, it is considered the worlds most vulner-
able region with regard to the effects of Climate Change. Vulnerability is high due to social, economic,
and environmental conditions that magnify susceptibility to negative impacts and contribute to low ca-
pacity to cope with and adapt to climate hazards.

In Ghana, Climate Change impacts include:

Sea level rise: global warming causes polar glacial
melt which leads to inundation of low lying
coastal areas.
Erosion: loss of coastal sediments has already
caused up to 3 meters per annum along Ghanas
eastern coastline.
Salinity: with encroaching sea level, salinity of ag-
ricultural land, lagoons, estuaries and aquifers in-
crease.
Keta Beach (Photo Courtesy: www.celsias.com)
Raised coastal water tables.

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 EPA Policy Brief No: 4

Policy Analysis and Critique

There is no specific policy for the coastal zone and Current issues along the Ghanaian coast:
resources in Ghana, however, a number of Environ-
mental related Policies exist. The main thrust and Declining catch of coastal fishes due to unsus-
orientation of national policies on the protection, tainable fishing management.
management and development of the coastal envi- Anthropogenic activities that have destroyed
ronment is based on the following three major areas: coastal wetlands that provide spawning and
nursery grounds for many key species. Wetlands
1. Integrated coastal zone management and sustain-
depletion has occurred at an average rate of
able development. 6,000 hectares per year from 1990 to 2000.
2. Marine environmental protection, both from land- Serious erosion problems at Keta, Ada-Foah,
based activities and from sea-based activities. Labadi Beach, Nkontonpo Beach and Axim.
3. Sustainable use and conservation of marine living Old legislation and poor enforcement of regula-
resources (both of the high seas and under national tions.
jurisdiction).

According to the Country Environmental Report of Ghana (2006), there are good environmental legisla-
tive frameworks in place but implementation has been weak due to factors such as: multiplicity of institu-
tions with conflicting environmental related functions; lack of a framework environmental law; inade-
quate guidelines and budgets for enforcing environmental laws; lack of awareness by the general public;
and complications due to gaps, conflicts, overlaps of functions and territorial disputes among institutions.

Traditional Strategies Recommended Strategies

Use of sand bags Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), a holistic approach to managing
against land inun- coastal zones.
dation. ICZM infrastructure, sea walls and armours, pillar housing, raised foundation.
Build homes away Efficient mechanisms for disaster management.
from waterfronts. Develop efficient desalinization techniques.
Build dykes against Plant mangrove belts to provide flood protection.
encroaching wa- Plant salt-tolerant varieties of vegetation.
ter .
Improve drainage facilities.
Migrating to upper Devise early flood warning systems.
lands.
Set back policies for all underdeveloped areas within coastal area (prevent con-
struction of immovable structures within hazard areas).

Policy Recommendations
Most developing countries have low adaptive capacity due to lack of economic resources and technology,
and numerous physical, social, economic, legal and political factors. Traditional coping strategies are
available; however, the human, infrastructural and economic response capacity to effect timely response
actions is difficult.

Adaptation policy should:

Reduce exposure (e.g., move settlements to higher ground) and sensitivity (e.g., design coastal infra-
structures to withstand storm surges) to climate change, or

Increase adaptive capacity (e.g., disaster management planning) and resilience or coping ability.

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 EPA Policy Brief No: 4

Planning policy in the coastal zone should be based on:

Anticipated future occurrences and problems (climate change, sea-level rise and its anticipated im-
pacts on the coastal zone).
Collaboration between media, telecommunication companies and meteorological services in sending
across early warning signals to citizens at risk.
Exploring probable impacts (risk assessment).
Appraisal of policy options and strategies to solve the problems (assessing alternative adaptation and
mitigation options).
Selection of the best sustainable options for implementation.

Coastal zones are complex systems rich with natural resources.

Climate Change poses potentially significant threats to these
interdependent systems that would endanger food security,
water security, health and livelihoods of coastal populations.
However, Climate Change also provides an opportunity to-
wards the path to sustainable development. For example,
Ghana has only 11% of its 550 kilometre coastline developed.
This means that potentially costly and unsustainable develop-
ments can be avoided.

Climate change considerations must therefore be main- Costal erosion has eaten away the road, leaving no motorable road
for normal and emergency movement.
streamed into all aspects of policy formulation for coastal
zones, in order to balance economic and social objectives with the preservation of ecosystem services.
There is the need for a comprehensive ICZM that enables capacity building, awareness creation of the dy-
namics and the complexity of the coastal systems and develops a sense of ownership of the coastal zone
and its institutions among the stakeholders. There is an urgent need to understand the threats from cli-
mate change, formulate policies that will lessen the risks and to take action.

Material Referred:
1. Agyeman-Bonsu et al. (2008) Ghana Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation Assessments, Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency, Ghana.
2. Boateng, I. (2008) Integrating sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies in the coastal zone. In Proceedings
of the Federation of International Surveyors Working Week 2008: Integrating Generations [Stockholm, Sweden].
Retrieved July 28, 2010, from http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2008/papers/ts03f/ts03f_03_boateng_2722.pdf
3. Boko, M.; Niang, I.; Nyong, A.; Vogel, C.; Githeko, A.; Medany, M.; Osman-Elasha, B.; Tabo and R.; Yanda, P.
(2007) Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, In Contribution of Working Group II to the
Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental, by M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. Van der Lin-
den and C.E. Hanson, 433-467. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
4. Country Environmental Report of Ghana (2006) Draft Final Report, Retrieved July 28, 2010, from http://
www.delgha.ec.europa.eu/en/publications/Pub080207.pdf
5. Pak Sum Low (2006) Climate Change and Africa. Cambridge University Press, New York.
6. United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) (2004) Environmental Sensitivity Map for Coastal Areas of
Ghana. Volume II - Coastal Environment UNDP-Accra.