Agavedzi: Agavedzi and Salakope, coastal communities in the Ketu South Municipality, have again suffered another tidal waves attack over the weekend, leaving some residents in despair. The Saturday evening and Sunday morning episodes of the recurring menace happened barely two weeks after the last episode at Agavedzi on January 16.
According to Ghana News Agency, these two communities had in recent past years, along with some other communities along the Volta Region's coast, been reeling under the devastating effects of the perennial tidal waves menace, including destruction to livelihoods, homes, schools, farmlands, and critical infrastructure. With every visit of the sea came calls from the residents for government intervention to stop the sea erosion and save the entire Volta coastline from going extinct, while a few took the pains to secure segments of their buildings such as roofs and beams for fear of the next tidal incursion.
Mr. Eben Assah, Assembly member for Agavedzi, in an interview with Ghana News Agency Sunday, renewed calls for the government to come to the aid of the people to reduce their suffering. He stated there was an urgent need for the government to address the accommodation needs of victims rendered homeless while finding a long-lasting solution to the menace. "We need urgent relocation of the homeless. Ghana Gas promised to construct a hundred two-bedroom apartments for the victims by December 2024. Out of that, the company started work on only 10, and even that remains uncompleted. We need these apartments completed. Additionally, we need a permanent solution to this perennial occurrence. I believe the continuation of the sea defense project will help tackle this. The tidal waves always hit from where the protective groins ended."
However, Torgbui Emmanuel Anomoo Tettey, a resident and Chief Fisherman for Salakope, believed a more holistic approach should be used to permanently end the sea's devastation, suggesting that dredging of the sea would better save the situation than a protective wall. "As a fisherman and someone who understands the workings of the sea, I recommend dredging of the sea. A similar approach was used in Togo and Benin, and it's working well. I have witnessed a similar approach in South Africa and Namibia. By all means, the government must act and act fast. We can't continually live in fear over what disaster the next visit of the sea will bring."
Recently, Anlo Youth Council, the umbrella body of the youth of Anlo, welcomed the commitment by Mr. James Gunu, the Volta Regional Minister, to tackle sea erosion along the region's coastline, calling for immediate and sustainable action to address the menace. Mr. Gunu, when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament, said, "Under my tenure, I will work with other sector ministries and agencies to tackle the tidal waves menace in the Volta Region to protect the coastal belt."
