The Ticking Clock: Saving Ghana's Coastal Communities from the Brink of Disaster

Reflecting on the progress made thus far for his beloved Keta coastal community, Torgbi Awlavi IV, a young and ambitious traditional ruler in the beautiful and bountiful Volta Region of Ghana, recently made me realise that no empathetic human being, standing on the edge of any coastal town in Ghana, watching the waves crash against the shore, could fail to feel a sense of urgency and dread. The sad reality is that the clock is ticking, and the fate of our coastal communities hangs in the balance. Rising ocean levels, fuelled by melting polar ice sheets, threaten to engulf homes, destroy livelihoods, and erase the traditional way of life for such coastal communities.

The statistics are staggering:
- 143 million people worldwide will be displaced by 2050 (World Bank, 2022)

- $1 trillion will be spent annually on coastal protection by 2050 (OECD, 2022)

- 26 cm of sea level rise by 2050, 82 cm by 2100 (IPCC, 2022)

But this isn't just about numbers; it's about people. Families, children, and grandparents who call these coastal towns home. It's about the fisherman who can't fish, the shopkeeper who can't sell, and the child who can't play on the beach.

We can't keep building expensive sea defence walls to hold back the tide. It's time to rethink our approach. Let's invest in relocating our coastal communities to higher ground, where they can thrive in safety. Let's build climate-smart towns that harness the power of renewable energy and sustainable design, where present-day coastal communities across Ghana's entire shoreline can be relocated and thrive.

As wise and aspirational Africans, we owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to act. The clock is ticking, but it's not too late. Let's rise to the challenge and create a safer, more sustainable world for all.

Sources:
- IPCC (2022)
- World Bank (2022)
- OECD (2022) and aspirational Africans, we owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to act. The clock is ticking, but it's not too late. Let's rise to the challenge and create a safer, more sustainable world for all.

Sources:
- IPCC (2022)
• World Bank (2022)
• OECD (2022)