Abstract:
Coastal management has emerged as one of the greatest global challenges of the
21st century to adapt to sea-level rise and associated hazards like coastal flooding
and coastal erosion. To respond to coastal erosion, different coastal management
strategies and coastal infrastructure typologies can be applied to safeguard
communities and ecosystems against coastal hazards. The main aim of this study
was to investigate the implementation of coastal management strategies and
coastal infrastructure in Ghana. Precisely, the study (1) mapped and assessed
coastal protection infrastructure along the coast of Ghana using geographic
information systems, remote sensing, and in-situ observation; (2) estimated the
integrated coastal vulnerability index for the coast of Ghana towards future
coastal infrastructural developments; (3) investigated short-term shoreline
response to groyne fields and associated environmental impacts at three groyne
fields using satellite imagery and remote sensing; and (4) employed in-depth
interviews to investigate the socioeconomic impacts of grey infrastructure along
the coast of Ghana. Results indicated that: (1) coastal management in Ghana is
largely static and reactive using hold-the-line strategies and grey infrastructure for
coastal protection; (2) Approximately 20% of the coast was protected using hardengineered
infrastructure between 2000 and 2022; (3) at least 72% of the coast
has moderate to very high coastal vulnerability to coastal hazards; (4) shoreline
responses to groynes indicate increasing erosion, rapid changes to beach plan
form, and terminal groyne effects – severe down-drift shoreline retreat rates; (5)
the socioeconomic pitfalls identified include erosion migration, beach access
restriction, impacts on artisanal fishing methods, fish landing dynamics, and
livelihoods. The outcomes of this study have significant implications for coastal
planning, policy-making, and sustainable development of coastal areas in Ghana.
In conclusion, the development of shoreline management plans to support
adaptive (dynamic) coastal management strategies and hybrid infrastructure is
recommended to mitigate reactive, ad hoc implementation of grey infrastructure
along the coast of Ghana.