People living in Glefe and Gbegbeyise, all suburbs of Accra and along the coast of the Greater Accra Region, are among those affected by coastal flooding and sea erosion.

Many of the inhabitants are displaced internally due to the devastation of erosion-driven forces such as waves and tides along the coast.

Despite the construction of the sea defence wall, the tidal waves ferociously wipe away structures along the coast.

As shown in the photographs taken during a visit to the affected communities, one could see a fusion of desperation and anguish conspicuously written on the faces of the settlers as they stood in groups deliberating on how to construct temporary shelters.

Mr. Joseph Nartey, a 57-year-old resident of Glefe said that the sea had been rising gradually for the past years, displacing and forcing hundreds of people to abandon their homes.

According to him, the impact of the tidal waves had caused loss of lives and property and damage to crops, among others.

Mr Nartey pleaded with the government to speed up the construction of the defence wall to curb the devastating tidal waves.

Gleefe and Gbegbeyise are situated in low-lying sections of the beach which allows seawater to move inland during high tide.

Accelerated sea-level rise,  as predicted  by  the Intergovernmental  Panel  on Climate  Change (IPCC), will destroy homes of the inhabitants and inundate  the  Densu  wetlands located behind  the beach. 

If nothing is done urgently to save the situation, the people would be rendered homeless, whilst flooding of the wetlands will destroy the habitats of migratory birds and some endangered wildlife species such as marine turtle.

Effective measures should, therefore, be adopted to protect this very important coastal environment, the wetlands and the livelihoods of the community dwellers.

By Geoffrey Buta