• We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreli... more • We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreline data spanning 38 years were analysed using ArcGIS tools. • The study identified the entire study area to have eroded during the 38 year period. • Beach sand mining is the most significant human-induced erosion factor. a b s t r a c t Most coastlines in the world are under the threat of erosion. As such many developed nations have instituted long-term measures to control the rate of change. However, along most developing nation coastlines, little attention is given to coastal erosion management. Ghana like most developing countries has little commitment to ensure the effective monitoring and management of coastal erosion. Consequently, many of its coastal communities and important historical monuments are now under severe risk to sea erosion. This study focuses on the shoreline evolution that occurred along the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree coast of Ghana during a thirty-eight year period using available datasets that allowed the authors to discern between what happened between 1974 and 2005, and in the most recent years, between 2005 and 2012. Shoreline data from 1974, 2005 and 2012 were incorporated in Geographic Information System (GIS) using ArcGIS for analysis. The net shoreline movement and end point rate statistics were generated by ArcGIS together with Digital Shoreline Analysis System software extension. The study identified that in all the three epochs considered, there were a general erosion trend in the shoreline changes. This study has provided valuable and comprehensive baseline information on the state of the coastline in the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree area which can serve as a guide for coastal engineers, coastal managers and policy makers in Ghana to manage the risk.
• We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreli... more • We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreline data spanning 38 years were analysed using ArcGIS tools. • The study identified the entire study area to have eroded during the 38 year period. • Beach sand mining is the most significant human-induced erosion factor. a b s t r a c t Most coastlines in the world are under the threat of erosion. As such many developed nations have instituted long-term measures to control the rate of change. However, along most developing nation coastlines, little attention is given to coastal erosion management. Ghana like most developing countries has little commitment to ensure the effective monitoring and management of coastal erosion. Consequently, many of its coastal communities and important historical monuments are now under severe risk to sea erosion. This study focuses on the shoreline evolution that occurred along the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree coast of Ghana during a thirty-eight year period using available datasets that allowed the authors to discern between what happened between 1974 and 2005, and in the most recent years, between 2005 and 2012. Shoreline data from 1974, 2005 and 2012 were incorporated in Geographic Information System (GIS) using ArcGIS for analysis. The net shoreline movement and end point rate statistics were generated by ArcGIS together with Digital Shoreline Analysis System software extension. The study identified that in all the three epochs considered, there were a general erosion trend in the shoreline changes. This study has provided valuable and comprehensive baseline information on the state of the coastline in the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree area which can serve as a guide for coastal engineers, coastal managers and policy makers in Ghana to manage the risk.
• We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreli... more • We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreline data spanning 38 years were analysed using ArcGIS tools. • The study identified the entire study area to have eroded during the 38 year period. • Beach sand mining is the most significant human-induced erosion factor. a b s t r a c t Most coastlines in the world are under the threat of erosion. As such many developed nations have instituted long-term measures to control the rate of change. However, along most developing nation coastlines, little attention is given to coastal erosion management. Ghana like most developing countries has little commitment to ensure the effective monitoring and management of coastal erosion. Consequently, many of its coastal communities and important historical monuments are now under severe risk to sea erosion. This study focuses on the shoreline evolution that occurred along the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree coast of Ghana during a thirty-eight year period using available datasets that allowed the authors to discern between what happened between 1974 and 2005, and in the most recent years, between 2005 and 2012. Shoreline data from 1974, 2005 and 2012 were incorporated in Geographic Information System (GIS) using ArcGIS for analysis. The net shoreline movement and end point rate statistics were generated by ArcGIS together with Digital Shoreline Analysis System software extension. The study identified that in all the three epochs considered, there were a general erosion trend in the shoreline changes. This study has provided valuable and comprehensive baseline information on the state of the coastline in the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree area which can serve as a guide for coastal engineers, coastal managers and policy makers in Ghana to manage the risk.
Summary This paper discusses the importance of marine cadastre to the reduction of conflict among... more Summary This paper discusses the importance of marine cadastre to the reduction of conflict among maritime stakeholders and how it can contribute to effective integrated coastal zone and shoreline management in Ghana. Ghana is endowed with numerous valuable natural recourses both on land and sea. Exploitation and management of these resources often leads to conflict, land tenure dispute and environmental
ABSTRACT Coastal erosion poses serious threat to life and properties along Ghana’s coast. This is... more ABSTRACT Coastal erosion poses serious threat to life and properties along Ghana’s coast. This is because major industries, urban settlements, recreational facilities, heritage and conservation sites are located few metres from the coast. In spite of this threat, management strategies, both past and present, remain an “ad hoc” and site specific. Limited attention has been given to large scale assessment and investigation to detect the rate of coastal recession and the size of land lost to the sea to inform integrated management plan and to formulate sustainable management strategies to deal with the problem. This paper provides large scale assessment of coastal recession in Ghana through field investigation, applied coastal geomorphology and GIS techniques to selected case study areas. The assessment covered 203 km out of the 540 km coastline of Ghana. Results of the assessment indicate that coastal erosion is very substantial and wide spread along the coast, but the rate of recession varies across the entire coastline. Significant amounts of losses of settlements have been experienced in some localities in the eastern coast (Keta and Ada) and the central coast (Accra, Shama and Sekondi-Takoradi). In some areas, coastal defences have been built to reduce the impacts, yet many areas are still very vulnerable. Interestingly, the paper identified that the high rates of retreat recorded in many areas have yet to cause major risks in some local communities because of the presence of a buffer of largely undeveloped land that has existed historically between the shoreline and the developments. However, recent increase in coastal tourism in Ghana has led to “scramble” for purchase of these buffer lands for development, which increase the risk. Ghana has the opportunity to use education and land use planning to keep the coastline clear of major developments and avoid the temptation of engaging in costly cycle of development-risk-defence experienced in many countries including the UK and the Netherlands. The paper recommends that Ghana should adopt the UK SMP, which has progressively moved away from the traditional re-active and parochial approaches of providing localised hard-engineered coastal defence work to solve what was perceived to be a local problem, to a more pro-active and holistic approach that take full account of coastal dynamics, interrelationships of coastal systems, knock-on effects, environment concerns and developments at the backshore.
... of international surveyors working week 2009-Surveyors key role in accelerated development, T... more ... of international surveyors working week 2009-Surveyors key role in accelerated development, TS 4E, Eilat, Israel, 38 May Boateng I (2010 ... 3):399406 McCulloch MM, Forbes DL, Shaw RW (2002) Coastal impacts of climate change and sea-level rise on Prince Edward Island ...
This paper reviews different climate induced sea-level rise adaptation policy options and assesse... more This paper reviews different climate induced sea-level rise adaptation policy options and assesses how these policy options can be integrated into planning policies in the coastal zone to increase adaptive capacity. In order to identify a holistic and efficient way of integrating sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies, relevant and related literature on both sealevel rise adaptation policies and planning policy in the coastal zone were reviewed and gaps in the adaptation planning policies identified. A framework for the integration of climate induced sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies in the coastal zones was developed based on qualitative appraisal of coastal adaptation policy options for different coastal conditions, potential risk to natural and human resources and the possible impacts of each policy option on coastal settlements and resources in the face of climate change and associated sea-level rise. The paper concludes that due to recent climate related devastations in the coastal zones, such as 2007 flooding in the UK, Ghana and Bangladesh and 2006‟s hurricane Katrina in USA, a range of adaptive management and planning policies that could potentially offset some of the worst climate related problems need to be identified and implemented. However, for such policies to be effective, they need to be matched carefully to local economic and environmental conditions as well as the coastal characteristics. They also need to be planned in advance and implemented within an organised framework that includes elements of monitoring, maintenance, local community involvement and capacity building.
Global warming and climate change pose severe threat to many countries, territories and cultural ... more Global warming and climate change pose severe threat to many countries, territories and cultural heritage of humanity on earth in the 21st century. One of the ensuing effects of climate change is the issue of climate induced displacements and the consequent migrant (climate refugees). Over the past two decades, the debate about “climate refugees” among experts, advocacy groups and social scientists has produced lots of different scenarios about environmentally induced migration. However, the term “environmental refugee”or“climate refugee” remains somewhat vague and has no international charter. Hence, a significant number of people who are climate refugees at the moment are not accorded the need support under the 1951 United Nations (UN) convention and 1967 Protocol on the Status of Refugees. This paper review literature and uses qualitative analysis to evaluate recent climate induced displacements, potential future scenarios (2050 as baseline), and international legal regime to assess global capacity to deal with the threat. In the past three years, long icy winter conditions at the polar and temperate regions have also caused significant displacements and migrations due to significant loss of livelihood. In addition, climate induced sea-level rise also threatens coastal settlements and low-lying small island states, particularly; those in the Pacific Ocean are vulnerable. It has been predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007 that all these climatic conditions and their impacts are likely to intensify from now to 2050. These clearly highlight the need to build strong global capacity and strategies for managing the risk and impacts of climate induced displacements and climate refugees. Surveyors already have strong capacity and expertise in disaster risk management; therefore, they could be engaged in the planning and development of climate change adaptation strategies to accommodate the impacts of climate change, particularly, the issue of climate refugees.
Climate change has been one of the main causes of the rise and fall of civilisations, migration a... more Climate change has been one of the main causes of the rise and fall of civilisations, migration and destruction of complex societies from the apocalyptic story of Noah’s Ark and the flood, through the ice age to the present time. The development of complex societies and population growth mostly leads to overexploitation of the earth resources to support the complex life styles. In the last century, anthropogenic climate change which is mainly driven by the volume of human emission of greenhouse gases and aerosols in the atmosphere has resulted in global warming and climate change. According to the IPCC (2013) the atmosphere and oceans have warmed, the volume of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased and some of these changes are accelerating and are possibly irreversible at this stage. Climate change therefore poses severe threat to many countries, territories and cultural heritage of humanity on earth in the 21st century. This articles discuses one of the fall out of the effects of climate change (climate refugees) and assesses the role surveyors could play to ameliorate the problem. Climate change is predicted to bring about more frequent and severe disasters, such as droughts, floods, storms, and hurricanes (cyclones and typhoons). IPCC (2007) identified four zones as among the most susceptible to the effects of climate change: low-lying coastal settlements; rain-fed farming regions and those dependent on rivers fed by snow and glacier melt; subhumid and arid regions; and humid areas in Southeast Asia vulnerable to changes in monsoon patterns. The climatic changes that threaten these zones are: sea level rise, drought, changes in rainfall pattern, flood, glacial melting and extreme weather conditions (Boateng, 2010).
In the next 20-30 year period, the intensity, frequency, duration and extent of weather related hazards will increase in many parts of the world. However, we are unlikely to see significant changes in the location of these hazards (Ehrhart et al, 2009). While extreme weather events can hit any part of the world, their impact is most acute in the least developed countries, where the poor often live in marginal lands subject to flooding or mudslides, and therefore, are more prone to being displaced (Fritz, 2010). Here are a few recent examples of extreme weather conditions. Hurricane Katrina in the southern USA in 2005, the 2007 floods in Tewkesbury, UK; Burma; Bangladesh; and the multiple hurricanes that nearly destroyed Haiti in 2008, and the numerous typhoons in Asia in 2009 brought huge displacements, catastrophic losses of life and livelihood and made many refugees.
One of the ensuing effects of climate change is the issue of climate induced displacements and the consequent migrants (climate refugees). Over the past two decades, the debate about “climate refugees” among experts, advocacy groups and social scientists has produced lots of different scenarios about environmentally induced migration (El-Hinnawi, 1985; Black, 2001; Myers, 2002; Bates, 2002; Boano et al, 2008; Gemenne, 2011; Piguet, 2012). However, the term “environmental refugee” or “climate refugee” remains somewhat vague and has no international charter.
This report highlights the core issues of coastal adaptation to climate change and discusses the ... more This report highlights the core issues of coastal adaptation to climate change and discusses the impacts of climate change on spatial planning in coastal regions. It outlines the objectives of the working group 8.4 and its achievements over the past four years. It also draws members’ attention to FIG’s contributions to the global debate on the issue of climate change and associated sea level rise over the same period. The report focuses on the present and future impacts of climate change on coastal regions and identifies participatory coastal adaptation strategy, which is planned and implemented in advance as a sustainable way of dealing with the problem. The report brings together technical knowledge and problem solving strategies to aid coastal managers, planners, land professionals, practitioners and academics who are confronted with the problem of coastal adaptation to climate change. It acknowledged the pressure climate change places upon coastal zones and the urgent need for sustainable adaptation strategies to deal with the effects. It identifies the sharing of best practice among practitioners as one of the key strategies for the development of sustainable coastal adaptation. Based on this, the report addresses technical problems on the topic through the use of 15 sets of technical and analytical case studies as examples of best practice. The report covers a wide range of related themes. Each theme has a brief outline of the core issues and then uses the case studies to either analysis or provides solution to the problem. The case studies which covers 12 different countries (Figure 2) around the world focuses on a specific coastal problems and tries to highlight the methodologies applied to deal with the problems, the change processes (results) and the lessons learned. The report provides an insight on the task of addressing the ‘land’ challenge posed by rising sea levels and the complex issues in the coastal zone. It presents holistic coastal adaptation framework (Figure 32) which outlines a step by step processes towards the development of sustainable coastal adaptation project which is based on participation and reliable data on the climate change variables. The report concludes that, the impacts of climate change are already affecting many coastal regions and SIDS. The impacts are likely to intensify over the next century. There is the need therefore to plan for adaptation now so as to reduce some of the negative future effects of climate change in the coastal zone. It was identified that comparatively, developed countries have technical, institutional and financial capacity for coastal adaptation than developing countries. However, developing countries has less development on vulnerable coastal lands. The report recommended the application of land use planning to avoid the potentially costly and unsustainable “development – risk – protection” cycle by attempting to apply retreat and accommodation adaptation policies to manage the extent to which their populations and economic activities overlap into the most hazardous areas. It also recommended to the FIG to advocate for sustainable coastal land-use planning and adaption in developing countries.
This paper assesses the potential for the adaptation of UK Shoreline Management Planning to addre... more This paper assesses the potential for the adaptation of UK Shoreline Management Planning to address Ghana’s problems of coastal erosion and resultant shoreline retreat in an environmentally acceptable and sustainable way. Management strategies, past and existing, have largely focussed upon provision of hard protection at specific locations where risk levels to life and economic assets are high. There has been little commitment to the concepts of integration of management interventions with wider natural processes and longer-term sustainability. In most cases, such ‘ad hoc’ management interventions classically tend to stabilise the shoreline at the protected section and aggravate the situation elsewhere along the shoreline (“knock-on effects”). Such problems have occurred previously on many other developed coastlines leading in recent decades to more holistic and potentially sustainable shoreline management methods (Hooke, 1999). For example, UK shoreline management planning since the mid 1990s has achieved success in reducing the occurrence of “knock on effects.” It has altered thinking away from the basic provision of defences towards a more holistic management of risks at the coast, setting out clearly locations where protection is likely to be required and others where alternative options are more sustainable. This paper reviews the progress achieved in the UK and assesses the extent to which the methods devised could be adapted towards the requirements of Ghana’s shoreline. It concludes that many of the concepts and methods should be transferable provided that a sound understanding is developed of the physical coastal processes based on application of littoral cell and sediment budget methodology.
Sub-standard (poor quality) materials have been mentioned as one of the major causes of building ... more Sub-standard (poor quality) materials have been mentioned as one of the major causes of building collapse worldwide. The main materials mostly identified as sub-standard are cement, reinforcement bars, timber and aggregate. This Paper assesses whether the quality of Type I Portland cement use in Ghana - contribute to the recent building collapse in Accra and Kumasi. This was achieved through experimental study by comparing the properties of Ghana cement with that of UK cement. The study found that the dry density of Ghana Grey cement was higher than both the UK Grey and UK White cements. Furthermore, the Ghana Grey cement performed better in resistance to water absorption than UK Grey cement, while the UK White was better than both Ghana Grey and UK Grey cements. In addition, while UK White cement performed better in compression than Ghana Grey and UK Grey cements, the Ghana Grey was better than the UK Grey cement. The results of the experiment clearly reveal that the quality of Gha...
Knowledge of fluvial sediment supply to the coastal sediment budget is important for the assessme... more Knowledge of fluvial sediment supply to the coastal sediment budget is important for the assessment of the impacts on coastal stability. Such knowledge is valuable for designing coastal engineering schemes and the development of shoreline management planning policies. It also facilitates understanding of the connection between rivers in the hinterland and adjoining coastal systems. Ghana's coast has many fluvial sediment sources and this paper provides the first quantitative assessments of their contributions to the coastal sediment budget. The methods use largely existing data and attempt to cover all of Ghana's significant coastal rivers. Initially work was hindered by insufficient direct measured data. However, the problem was overcome by the application of a regression approach, which provides an estimated sediment yield for non-gauged rivers based on data from gauged rivers with similar characteristics. The regression approach was effective because a regional coherence in behaviour was determined between those rivers, where direct measured data were available. The results of the assessment revealed that Ghana's coast is dissected by many south-draining rivers, stream and lagoons. These rivers, streams and lagoons supply significant amounts of sediment to coastal lowlands and therefore contribute importantly to beaches. Anthropogenic impoundment of fluvial sediment, especially the Akosombo dam on the Volta River, has reduced the total fluvial sediment input to the coast from about 71×106m3/a before 1964 (pre-Akosombo dam) to about 7×106m3/a at present (post-Akosombo dam). This sharp reduction threatened the stability of the east coast and prompted an expensive ($83million) defence scheme to be implemented to protect 8.4km-long coastline at Keta. Sections of Ghana's coast are closely connected to the hinterland through the fluvial sediment input from local rivers. Therefore, development in the hinterland that alters the fluvial sediment input from those local rivers could have significant effects on the coast. There is the need, therefore, to ensure that catchment management plans and coastal management plans are integrated or interconnected.
SUMMARY Climate change and global warming has been one of the most discussed and debated topics i... more SUMMARY Climate change and global warming has been one of the most discussed and debated topics in Scientific Journals over the last two decades. There are considerable media and public pressures on governments, policy makers and international organisations such as European Union and United Nations to take measures to address global warming and its potential deleterious effects. The biggest danger,
• We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreli... more • We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreline data spanning 38 years were analysed using ArcGIS tools. • The study identified the entire study area to have eroded during the 38 year period. • Beach sand mining is the most significant human-induced erosion factor. a b s t r a c t Most coastlines in the world are under the threat of erosion. As such many developed nations have instituted long-term measures to control the rate of change. However, along most developing nation coastlines, little attention is given to coastal erosion management. Ghana like most developing countries has little commitment to ensure the effective monitoring and management of coastal erosion. Consequently, many of its coastal communities and important historical monuments are now under severe risk to sea erosion. This study focuses on the shoreline evolution that occurred along the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree coast of Ghana during a thirty-eight year period using available datasets that allowed the authors to discern between what happened between 1974 and 2005, and in the most recent years, between 2005 and 2012. Shoreline data from 1974, 2005 and 2012 were incorporated in Geographic Information System (GIS) using ArcGIS for analysis. The net shoreline movement and end point rate statistics were generated by ArcGIS together with Digital Shoreline Analysis System software extension. The study identified that in all the three epochs considered, there were a general erosion trend in the shoreline changes. This study has provided valuable and comprehensive baseline information on the state of the coastline in the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree area which can serve as a guide for coastal engineers, coastal managers and policy makers in Ghana to manage the risk.
• We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreli... more • We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreline data spanning 38 years were analysed using ArcGIS tools. • The study identified the entire study area to have eroded during the 38 year period. • Beach sand mining is the most significant human-induced erosion factor. a b s t r a c t Most coastlines in the world are under the threat of erosion. As such many developed nations have instituted long-term measures to control the rate of change. However, along most developing nation coastlines, little attention is given to coastal erosion management. Ghana like most developing countries has little commitment to ensure the effective monitoring and management of coastal erosion. Consequently, many of its coastal communities and important historical monuments are now under severe risk to sea erosion. This study focuses on the shoreline evolution that occurred along the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree coast of Ghana during a thirty-eight year period using available datasets that allowed the authors to discern between what happened between 1974 and 2005, and in the most recent years, between 2005 and 2012. Shoreline data from 1974, 2005 and 2012 were incorporated in Geographic Information System (GIS) using ArcGIS for analysis. The net shoreline movement and end point rate statistics were generated by ArcGIS together with Digital Shoreline Analysis System software extension. The study identified that in all the three epochs considered, there were a general erosion trend in the shoreline changes. This study has provided valuable and comprehensive baseline information on the state of the coastline in the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree area which can serve as a guide for coastal engineers, coastal managers and policy makers in Ghana to manage the risk.
• We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreli... more • We examined the trends in shoreline changes for a section of Ghana's coast. • Available shoreline data spanning 38 years were analysed using ArcGIS tools. • The study identified the entire study area to have eroded during the 38 year period. • Beach sand mining is the most significant human-induced erosion factor. a b s t r a c t Most coastlines in the world are under the threat of erosion. As such many developed nations have instituted long-term measures to control the rate of change. However, along most developing nation coastlines, little attention is given to coastal erosion management. Ghana like most developing countries has little commitment to ensure the effective monitoring and management of coastal erosion. Consequently, many of its coastal communities and important historical monuments are now under severe risk to sea erosion. This study focuses on the shoreline evolution that occurred along the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree coast of Ghana during a thirty-eight year period using available datasets that allowed the authors to discern between what happened between 1974 and 2005, and in the most recent years, between 2005 and 2012. Shoreline data from 1974, 2005 and 2012 were incorporated in Geographic Information System (GIS) using ArcGIS for analysis. The net shoreline movement and end point rate statistics were generated by ArcGIS together with Digital Shoreline Analysis System software extension. The study identified that in all the three epochs considered, there were a general erosion trend in the shoreline changes. This study has provided valuable and comprehensive baseline information on the state of the coastline in the Elmina, Cape Coast and Moree area which can serve as a guide for coastal engineers, coastal managers and policy makers in Ghana to manage the risk.
Summary This paper discusses the importance of marine cadastre to the reduction of conflict among... more Summary This paper discusses the importance of marine cadastre to the reduction of conflict among maritime stakeholders and how it can contribute to effective integrated coastal zone and shoreline management in Ghana. Ghana is endowed with numerous valuable natural recourses both on land and sea. Exploitation and management of these resources often leads to conflict, land tenure dispute and environmental
ABSTRACT Coastal erosion poses serious threat to life and properties along Ghana’s coast. This is... more ABSTRACT Coastal erosion poses serious threat to life and properties along Ghana’s coast. This is because major industries, urban settlements, recreational facilities, heritage and conservation sites are located few metres from the coast. In spite of this threat, management strategies, both past and present, remain an “ad hoc” and site specific. Limited attention has been given to large scale assessment and investigation to detect the rate of coastal recession and the size of land lost to the sea to inform integrated management plan and to formulate sustainable management strategies to deal with the problem. This paper provides large scale assessment of coastal recession in Ghana through field investigation, applied coastal geomorphology and GIS techniques to selected case study areas. The assessment covered 203 km out of the 540 km coastline of Ghana. Results of the assessment indicate that coastal erosion is very substantial and wide spread along the coast, but the rate of recession varies across the entire coastline. Significant amounts of losses of settlements have been experienced in some localities in the eastern coast (Keta and Ada) and the central coast (Accra, Shama and Sekondi-Takoradi). In some areas, coastal defences have been built to reduce the impacts, yet many areas are still very vulnerable. Interestingly, the paper identified that the high rates of retreat recorded in many areas have yet to cause major risks in some local communities because of the presence of a buffer of largely undeveloped land that has existed historically between the shoreline and the developments. However, recent increase in coastal tourism in Ghana has led to “scramble” for purchase of these buffer lands for development, which increase the risk. Ghana has the opportunity to use education and land use planning to keep the coastline clear of major developments and avoid the temptation of engaging in costly cycle of development-risk-defence experienced in many countries including the UK and the Netherlands. The paper recommends that Ghana should adopt the UK SMP, which has progressively moved away from the traditional re-active and parochial approaches of providing localised hard-engineered coastal defence work to solve what was perceived to be a local problem, to a more pro-active and holistic approach that take full account of coastal dynamics, interrelationships of coastal systems, knock-on effects, environment concerns and developments at the backshore.
... of international surveyors working week 2009-Surveyors key role in accelerated development, T... more ... of international surveyors working week 2009-Surveyors key role in accelerated development, TS 4E, Eilat, Israel, 38 May Boateng I (2010 ... 3):399406 McCulloch MM, Forbes DL, Shaw RW (2002) Coastal impacts of climate change and sea-level rise on Prince Edward Island ...
This paper reviews different climate induced sea-level rise adaptation policy options and assesse... more This paper reviews different climate induced sea-level rise adaptation policy options and assesses how these policy options can be integrated into planning policies in the coastal zone to increase adaptive capacity. In order to identify a holistic and efficient way of integrating sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies, relevant and related literature on both sealevel rise adaptation policies and planning policy in the coastal zone were reviewed and gaps in the adaptation planning policies identified. A framework for the integration of climate induced sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies in the coastal zones was developed based on qualitative appraisal of coastal adaptation policy options for different coastal conditions, potential risk to natural and human resources and the possible impacts of each policy option on coastal settlements and resources in the face of climate change and associated sea-level rise. The paper concludes that due to recent climate related devastations in the coastal zones, such as 2007 flooding in the UK, Ghana and Bangladesh and 2006‟s hurricane Katrina in USA, a range of adaptive management and planning policies that could potentially offset some of the worst climate related problems need to be identified and implemented. However, for such policies to be effective, they need to be matched carefully to local economic and environmental conditions as well as the coastal characteristics. They also need to be planned in advance and implemented within an organised framework that includes elements of monitoring, maintenance, local community involvement and capacity building.
Global warming and climate change pose severe threat to many countries, territories and cultural ... more Global warming and climate change pose severe threat to many countries, territories and cultural heritage of humanity on earth in the 21st century. One of the ensuing effects of climate change is the issue of climate induced displacements and the consequent migrant (climate refugees). Over the past two decades, the debate about “climate refugees” among experts, advocacy groups and social scientists has produced lots of different scenarios about environmentally induced migration. However, the term “environmental refugee”or“climate refugee” remains somewhat vague and has no international charter. Hence, a significant number of people who are climate refugees at the moment are not accorded the need support under the 1951 United Nations (UN) convention and 1967 Protocol on the Status of Refugees. This paper review literature and uses qualitative analysis to evaluate recent climate induced displacements, potential future scenarios (2050 as baseline), and international legal regime to assess global capacity to deal with the threat. In the past three years, long icy winter conditions at the polar and temperate regions have also caused significant displacements and migrations due to significant loss of livelihood. In addition, climate induced sea-level rise also threatens coastal settlements and low-lying small island states, particularly; those in the Pacific Ocean are vulnerable. It has been predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007 that all these climatic conditions and their impacts are likely to intensify from now to 2050. These clearly highlight the need to build strong global capacity and strategies for managing the risk and impacts of climate induced displacements and climate refugees. Surveyors already have strong capacity and expertise in disaster risk management; therefore, they could be engaged in the planning and development of climate change adaptation strategies to accommodate the impacts of climate change, particularly, the issue of climate refugees.
Climate change has been one of the main causes of the rise and fall of civilisations, migration a... more Climate change has been one of the main causes of the rise and fall of civilisations, migration and destruction of complex societies from the apocalyptic story of Noah’s Ark and the flood, through the ice age to the present time. The development of complex societies and population growth mostly leads to overexploitation of the earth resources to support the complex life styles. In the last century, anthropogenic climate change which is mainly driven by the volume of human emission of greenhouse gases and aerosols in the atmosphere has resulted in global warming and climate change. According to the IPCC (2013) the atmosphere and oceans have warmed, the volume of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased and some of these changes are accelerating and are possibly irreversible at this stage. Climate change therefore poses severe threat to many countries, territories and cultural heritage of humanity on earth in the 21st century. This articles discuses one of the fall out of the effects of climate change (climate refugees) and assesses the role surveyors could play to ameliorate the problem. Climate change is predicted to bring about more frequent and severe disasters, such as droughts, floods, storms, and hurricanes (cyclones and typhoons). IPCC (2007) identified four zones as among the most susceptible to the effects of climate change: low-lying coastal settlements; rain-fed farming regions and those dependent on rivers fed by snow and glacier melt; subhumid and arid regions; and humid areas in Southeast Asia vulnerable to changes in monsoon patterns. The climatic changes that threaten these zones are: sea level rise, drought, changes in rainfall pattern, flood, glacial melting and extreme weather conditions (Boateng, 2010).
In the next 20-30 year period, the intensity, frequency, duration and extent of weather related hazards will increase in many parts of the world. However, we are unlikely to see significant changes in the location of these hazards (Ehrhart et al, 2009). While extreme weather events can hit any part of the world, their impact is most acute in the least developed countries, where the poor often live in marginal lands subject to flooding or mudslides, and therefore, are more prone to being displaced (Fritz, 2010). Here are a few recent examples of extreme weather conditions. Hurricane Katrina in the southern USA in 2005, the 2007 floods in Tewkesbury, UK; Burma; Bangladesh; and the multiple hurricanes that nearly destroyed Haiti in 2008, and the numerous typhoons in Asia in 2009 brought huge displacements, catastrophic losses of life and livelihood and made many refugees.
One of the ensuing effects of climate change is the issue of climate induced displacements and the consequent migrants (climate refugees). Over the past two decades, the debate about “climate refugees” among experts, advocacy groups and social scientists has produced lots of different scenarios about environmentally induced migration (El-Hinnawi, 1985; Black, 2001; Myers, 2002; Bates, 2002; Boano et al, 2008; Gemenne, 2011; Piguet, 2012). However, the term “environmental refugee” or “climate refugee” remains somewhat vague and has no international charter.
This report highlights the core issues of coastal adaptation to climate change and discusses the ... more This report highlights the core issues of coastal adaptation to climate change and discusses the impacts of climate change on spatial planning in coastal regions. It outlines the objectives of the working group 8.4 and its achievements over the past four years. It also draws members’ attention to FIG’s contributions to the global debate on the issue of climate change and associated sea level rise over the same period. The report focuses on the present and future impacts of climate change on coastal regions and identifies participatory coastal adaptation strategy, which is planned and implemented in advance as a sustainable way of dealing with the problem. The report brings together technical knowledge and problem solving strategies to aid coastal managers, planners, land professionals, practitioners and academics who are confronted with the problem of coastal adaptation to climate change. It acknowledged the pressure climate change places upon coastal zones and the urgent need for sustainable adaptation strategies to deal with the effects. It identifies the sharing of best practice among practitioners as one of the key strategies for the development of sustainable coastal adaptation. Based on this, the report addresses technical problems on the topic through the use of 15 sets of technical and analytical case studies as examples of best practice. The report covers a wide range of related themes. Each theme has a brief outline of the core issues and then uses the case studies to either analysis or provides solution to the problem. The case studies which covers 12 different countries (Figure 2) around the world focuses on a specific coastal problems and tries to highlight the methodologies applied to deal with the problems, the change processes (results) and the lessons learned. The report provides an insight on the task of addressing the ‘land’ challenge posed by rising sea levels and the complex issues in the coastal zone. It presents holistic coastal adaptation framework (Figure 32) which outlines a step by step processes towards the development of sustainable coastal adaptation project which is based on participation and reliable data on the climate change variables. The report concludes that, the impacts of climate change are already affecting many coastal regions and SIDS. The impacts are likely to intensify over the next century. There is the need therefore to plan for adaptation now so as to reduce some of the negative future effects of climate change in the coastal zone. It was identified that comparatively, developed countries have technical, institutional and financial capacity for coastal adaptation than developing countries. However, developing countries has less development on vulnerable coastal lands. The report recommended the application of land use planning to avoid the potentially costly and unsustainable “development – risk – protection” cycle by attempting to apply retreat and accommodation adaptation policies to manage the extent to which their populations and economic activities overlap into the most hazardous areas. It also recommended to the FIG to advocate for sustainable coastal land-use planning and adaption in developing countries.
This paper assesses the potential for the adaptation of UK Shoreline Management Planning to addre... more This paper assesses the potential for the adaptation of UK Shoreline Management Planning to address Ghana’s problems of coastal erosion and resultant shoreline retreat in an environmentally acceptable and sustainable way. Management strategies, past and existing, have largely focussed upon provision of hard protection at specific locations where risk levels to life and economic assets are high. There has been little commitment to the concepts of integration of management interventions with wider natural processes and longer-term sustainability. In most cases, such ‘ad hoc’ management interventions classically tend to stabilise the shoreline at the protected section and aggravate the situation elsewhere along the shoreline (“knock-on effects”). Such problems have occurred previously on many other developed coastlines leading in recent decades to more holistic and potentially sustainable shoreline management methods (Hooke, 1999). For example, UK shoreline management planning since the mid 1990s has achieved success in reducing the occurrence of “knock on effects.” It has altered thinking away from the basic provision of defences towards a more holistic management of risks at the coast, setting out clearly locations where protection is likely to be required and others where alternative options are more sustainable. This paper reviews the progress achieved in the UK and assesses the extent to which the methods devised could be adapted towards the requirements of Ghana’s shoreline. It concludes that many of the concepts and methods should be transferable provided that a sound understanding is developed of the physical coastal processes based on application of littoral cell and sediment budget methodology.
Sub-standard (poor quality) materials have been mentioned as one of the major causes of building ... more Sub-standard (poor quality) materials have been mentioned as one of the major causes of building collapse worldwide. The main materials mostly identified as sub-standard are cement, reinforcement bars, timber and aggregate. This Paper assesses whether the quality of Type I Portland cement use in Ghana - contribute to the recent building collapse in Accra and Kumasi. This was achieved through experimental study by comparing the properties of Ghana cement with that of UK cement. The study found that the dry density of Ghana Grey cement was higher than both the UK Grey and UK White cements. Furthermore, the Ghana Grey cement performed better in resistance to water absorption than UK Grey cement, while the UK White was better than both Ghana Grey and UK Grey cements. In addition, while UK White cement performed better in compression than Ghana Grey and UK Grey cements, the Ghana Grey was better than the UK Grey cement. The results of the experiment clearly reveal that the quality of Gha...
Knowledge of fluvial sediment supply to the coastal sediment budget is important for the assessme... more Knowledge of fluvial sediment supply to the coastal sediment budget is important for the assessment of the impacts on coastal stability. Such knowledge is valuable for designing coastal engineering schemes and the development of shoreline management planning policies. It also facilitates understanding of the connection between rivers in the hinterland and adjoining coastal systems. Ghana's coast has many fluvial sediment sources and this paper provides the first quantitative assessments of their contributions to the coastal sediment budget. The methods use largely existing data and attempt to cover all of Ghana's significant coastal rivers. Initially work was hindered by insufficient direct measured data. However, the problem was overcome by the application of a regression approach, which provides an estimated sediment yield for non-gauged rivers based on data from gauged rivers with similar characteristics. The regression approach was effective because a regional coherence in behaviour was determined between those rivers, where direct measured data were available. The results of the assessment revealed that Ghana's coast is dissected by many south-draining rivers, stream and lagoons. These rivers, streams and lagoons supply significant amounts of sediment to coastal lowlands and therefore contribute importantly to beaches. Anthropogenic impoundment of fluvial sediment, especially the Akosombo dam on the Volta River, has reduced the total fluvial sediment input to the coast from about 71×106m3/a before 1964 (pre-Akosombo dam) to about 7×106m3/a at present (post-Akosombo dam). This sharp reduction threatened the stability of the east coast and prompted an expensive ($83million) defence scheme to be implemented to protect 8.4km-long coastline at Keta. Sections of Ghana's coast are closely connected to the hinterland through the fluvial sediment input from local rivers. Therefore, development in the hinterland that alters the fluvial sediment input from those local rivers could have significant effects on the coast. There is the need, therefore, to ensure that catchment management plans and coastal management plans are integrated or interconnected.
SUMMARY Climate change and global warming has been one of the most discussed and debated topics i... more SUMMARY Climate change and global warming has been one of the most discussed and debated topics in Scientific Journals over the last two decades. There are considerable media and public pressures on governments, policy makers and international organisations such as European Union and United Nations to take measures to address global warming and its potential deleterious effects. The biggest danger,
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In the next 20-30 year period, the intensity, frequency, duration and extent of weather related hazards will increase in many parts of the world. However, we are unlikely to see significant changes in the location of these hazards (Ehrhart et al, 2009). While extreme weather events can hit any part of the world, their impact is most acute in the least developed countries, where the poor often live in marginal lands subject to flooding or mudslides, and therefore, are more prone to being displaced (Fritz, 2010). Here are a few recent examples of extreme weather conditions. Hurricane Katrina in the southern USA in 2005, the 2007 floods in Tewkesbury, UK; Burma; Bangladesh; and the multiple hurricanes that nearly destroyed Haiti in 2008, and the numerous typhoons in Asia in 2009 brought huge displacements, catastrophic losses of life and livelihood and made many refugees.
One of the ensuing effects of climate change is the issue of climate induced displacements and the consequent migrants (climate refugees). Over the past two decades, the debate about “climate refugees” among experts, advocacy groups and social scientists has produced lots of different scenarios about environmentally induced migration (El-Hinnawi, 1985; Black, 2001; Myers, 2002; Bates, 2002; Boano et al, 2008; Gemenne, 2011; Piguet, 2012). However, the term “environmental refugee” or “climate refugee” remains somewhat vague and has no international charter.
Such problems have occurred previously on many other developed coastlines leading in recent decades to more holistic and potentially sustainable shoreline management methods (Hooke, 1999). For example, UK shoreline management planning since the mid 1990s has achieved success in reducing the occurrence of “knock on effects.” It has altered thinking away from the basic provision of defences towards a more holistic management of risks at the coast, setting out clearly locations where protection is likely to be required and others where alternative options are more sustainable. This paper reviews the progress achieved in the UK and assesses the extent to which the methods devised could be adapted towards the requirements of Ghana’s shoreline. It concludes that many of the concepts and methods should be transferable provided that a sound understanding is developed of the physical coastal processes based on application of littoral cell and sediment budget methodology.
Accra, Ghana, 12-14 August 2013
Editors
A/Prof Samuel Laryea, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr Sena A. Agyepong, Ashesi University College, Ghana
First published 2013
ISBN 978-0-9566060-7-5
Published by
West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference
C/o Samuel Laryea
University of the Witwatersrand
School of Construction Economics and Management
1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg
PO Box 20
Wits 2050
Tel: +27 11 717-7657
Fax: +27 11 339-8175
Email: samuel.laryea@wits.ac.za
© The copyright for papers in this publication belongs to authors of the papers.
Correspondence
All correspondence relating to the WABER Conference should be addressed to:
Dr Sena A. Agyepong
Ashesi University College
Accra, Ghana
Email: senaagbodjah@yahoo.com
Please visit www.waberconference.com for more information
In the next 20-30 year period, the intensity, frequency, duration and extent of weather related hazards will increase in many parts of the world. However, we are unlikely to see significant changes in the location of these hazards (Ehrhart et al, 2009). While extreme weather events can hit any part of the world, their impact is most acute in the least developed countries, where the poor often live in marginal lands subject to flooding or mudslides, and therefore, are more prone to being displaced (Fritz, 2010). Here are a few recent examples of extreme weather conditions. Hurricane Katrina in the southern USA in 2005, the 2007 floods in Tewkesbury, UK; Burma; Bangladesh; and the multiple hurricanes that nearly destroyed Haiti in 2008, and the numerous typhoons in Asia in 2009 brought huge displacements, catastrophic losses of life and livelihood and made many refugees.
One of the ensuing effects of climate change is the issue of climate induced displacements and the consequent migrants (climate refugees). Over the past two decades, the debate about “climate refugees” among experts, advocacy groups and social scientists has produced lots of different scenarios about environmentally induced migration (El-Hinnawi, 1985; Black, 2001; Myers, 2002; Bates, 2002; Boano et al, 2008; Gemenne, 2011; Piguet, 2012). However, the term “environmental refugee” or “climate refugee” remains somewhat vague and has no international charter.
Such problems have occurred previously on many other developed coastlines leading in recent decades to more holistic and potentially sustainable shoreline management methods (Hooke, 1999). For example, UK shoreline management planning since the mid 1990s has achieved success in reducing the occurrence of “knock on effects.” It has altered thinking away from the basic provision of defences towards a more holistic management of risks at the coast, setting out clearly locations where protection is likely to be required and others where alternative options are more sustainable. This paper reviews the progress achieved in the UK and assesses the extent to which the methods devised could be adapted towards the requirements of Ghana’s shoreline. It concludes that many of the concepts and methods should be transferable provided that a sound understanding is developed of the physical coastal processes based on application of littoral cell and sediment budget methodology.
Accra, Ghana, 12-14 August 2013
Editors
A/Prof Samuel Laryea, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr Sena A. Agyepong, Ashesi University College, Ghana
First published 2013
ISBN 978-0-9566060-7-5
Published by
West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference
C/o Samuel Laryea
University of the Witwatersrand
School of Construction Economics and Management
1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg
PO Box 20
Wits 2050
Tel: +27 11 717-7657
Fax: +27 11 339-8175
Email: samuel.laryea@wits.ac.za
© The copyright for papers in this publication belongs to authors of the papers.
Correspondence
All correspondence relating to the WABER Conference should be addressed to:
Dr Sena A. Agyepong
Ashesi University College
Accra, Ghana
Email: senaagbodjah@yahoo.com
Please visit www.waberconference.com for more information