The Government of Ghana is under increasing pressure to expedite the creation of a comprehensive coastal management policy aimed at guiding activities along the country’s coastlines in response to climate change and natural disasters. Mr. Jonathan Gokah, the Coordinator of the Kasa Initiative Ghana, highlighted the critical need for such a policy, noting that its absence was impeding efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and natural calamities.
Mr. Gokah made these remarks at the Mangrove Project Closure Workshop organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Accra. The IUCN has been implementing a significant project focused on the “Management of Mangroves Forest from Senegal” between 2019 and 2024, with a primary goal of safeguarding the diverse and delicate mangrove ecosystems in West Africa.
Throughout the project’s duration, activities were conducted in various areas such as the Mono-Volta landscape, encompassing the Keta Lagoon in Ghana, Roy Mouth in Benin, and the Mono Delta Biosphere Reserve in Benin and Togo. Notable achievements included the restoration of degraded mangrove sites and capacity-building efforts benefiting communities in the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site Management.
The workshop served as a platform to share insights, challenges, and experiences gained from the project, aiming to facilitate upscaling and policy integration. Mangroves play a crucial role in providing coastal protection, serving as nurseries for marine life, and contributing to carbon sequestration.
Mr. Gokah stressed the urgency of building resilience along coastlines to ensure community sustainability, emphasizing the need for collaboration between the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) and other relevant ministries. He noted resource constraints but emphasized the importance of nature-based approaches, such as tree planting, to supplement traditional sea defense measures.
