The relentless advance of the sea along Ghana’s coast has not only erased significant portions of its landscape but also consumed key historical sites, leaving communities and livelihoods in jeopardy. Among the losses is the UNESCO World Heritage site once used to hold enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade. Today, only remnants of the fort remain, with 90% of its structure swallowed by the ocean.
“In 1907, the erosion started,” recalls James Ocloo Akorli, a historian and caretaker of the fort’s remains. “First, it was the coconut trees. Then, the houses went. By 1980, when it was still being used as a prison, the damage was already severe.”
The fate of Fort Kongestein in Ada Foah, built in 1783 and integral to the European slave trade, echoes this story. It has been entirely claimed by the sea, erasing yet another witness to the injustices of history.
Sea Walls vs. Nature-Based Solutions
The Ghanaian government has turned to sea walls to address the growing crisis. Notable among these efforts is the Keta Sea Defense Project, completed in 2000 at a cost of $100 million. While the project has mitigated erosion and flooding in some areas, it has inadvertently worsened the problem in others, with erosion rates increasing significantly in nearby communities.
“The effect of the sea walls is an acute erosion at the down-drift side of where the walls have been placed,” explains Joel Degue, a climate expert with the Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Management. “A few hundred meters away from the last sea wall, erosion activities start occurring at a faster rate.”
The West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA), a multi-country initiative led by the World Bank, has identified sea walls as only a partial solution. A comprehensive protection plan, estimated to cost $1.14 billion, remains far from realization.
A Call to Work With Nature
Experts argue that sustainable solutions require a shift toward nature-based approaches. “The entire coastline needs dredging to reclaim land and weaken the waves’ impact,” says Bright Mawunyo Adzagba, founder of the Keta Ramsar Center. “When the sea is deep enough, wave energy dissipates, which could halt further erosion. Instead of relying on massive rocks, we should plant trees as windbreakers and embrace nature’s power. We can’t fight nature; we can only work with it.”
Restoration projects, such as those in Anyanui and Atiteti, demonstrate the potential of mangrove wetlands to buffer against erosion while supporting local livelihoods. However, many coastal communities remain unprotected, facing the daily threat of displacement.
The Human Cost
Globally, nearly 45% of humanity lives within 150 kilometers of a shoreline. As sea levels rise, hundreds of millions are at risk of losing their homes by 2100. In Ghana, the reality is already upon its coastal residents, who endure a slow-moving catastrophe with few resources to combat it.
With erosion accelerating and solutions lagging, the question remains: will these communities have a place to call home in the years ahead?