Oppong Nkrumah Inspects Key Coastal Protection Projects in Central Region.

Central Region: Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Works and Housing, has commissioned and inspected significant coastline redevelopment projects along the 168-kilometre stretch of the Central Region's coast. The Coastal Protection Project aims to safeguard beaches and their surroundings from sea encroachment, halt environmental degradation, and alleviate the adverse social and economic impacts of beach erosion.According to Ghana News Agency, the completed projects include a five-kilometre Anomabo sea defence project phase I, featuring a rocky outlay, drawings, and revetment to combat tidal wave devastation in the area. The Minister and his entourage also reviewed the ongoing 3.4-kilometre Phase II of the project, which is being executed by Q3 Company Limited, a wholly Ghanaian-owned construction firm. This phase is set to run for 28 months and aims to shield communities such as Agyaa numbers One, Two, and Three, Kormantse, Abandze, and Biriwa.In Ekon, a suburb of Cape Coast, the Minister initiated a groundbreaking ceremony for a five-kilometre sea defence project, part of eight coastal protection projects initiated by the government in 2017. Managed by Vulux Engineering Limited, the project includes breakaway construction, armour rock revetments, armour rock groynes, and land reclamation. It aims to protect 5,000 meters of coastline and safeguard fisheries resources in communities like Moree in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District.In Elmina, within the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality, the Minister pledged the dredging of the Benya Lagoon and commissioned a five-kilometre Elmina Coastal Protection project, which has shielded many homes. Managed by Vulux Engineering, the project includes armour rock revetments to protect key installations such as roads and historical structures like the Elmina Castle, the $85 million Elmina Harbour, and a $7 million fish processing plant.Rounding up the tour in Komenda, the Minister commissioned a five-kilometre Komenda Coastal Protection project, which includes a hundred-meter bridge connecting British and Dutch Komenda, abandoned for over five decades. The project features aesthetically pleasing jetties, fish landing sites, and a fish market with storage facilities.During separate durbars in the beneficiary communities, Mr Nkrumah stated that many segments of Ghana's 550-kilometre coastline require protection against the sea. Consequently, the Government initiated its Coastal Protection Programme in 2017 to safeguard coastal towns. He emphasized that the project was designed to protect lives and properties and aid in the restoration of fishing and other businesses adversely affected by coastal waves.Mr Nkrumah assured that the Government would endeavor to protect all coastal communities and reiterated its dedication to providing financial support for implementing projects in communities requiring urgent protective infrastructure. He urged the communities to take ownership of the projects, safeguard them, and preserve their integrity to fulfill their intended pu rposes. Various traditional leaders, residents, and particularly fisher folks expressed gratitude to the government for the support and appealed for further assistance to enhance their livelihoods.