The Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea has outlined major projects his outfit has implemented as part of the Coastal Protection Project aimed at protecting the beaches and its environs against encroachment by the sea, arresting environmental deterioration as well as mitigating the negative social and economic consequences of beach erosion.

Samuel Atta Akyea said it is to avert the calamities and many others, that the protection of the country’s coastline is considered very critical. He said it is therefore the responsibility of the government to safeguard lives and properties and to promote socio-economic activities especially for those living along the coastline.

The minister made this known when he was addressing the media in Accra today. “Over the past year, the Ministry has continued the implementation of a number of coastal protection works. These works have ranged from the construction of armour rock revetment with beach stabilization and lateritic backfilling, to the construction of armour rock groynes and breakwater structures to protect lives and properties while safeguarding the livelihood of the people living along the coast”.

According to the minister, the 1.9-kilometer Adjoa Coastal protection works near Takoradi in the Western Region were completed last year and already, the inhabitants of Adjoa are experiencing the positive impact of the project. He added that the 4.3-kilometer Blekusu Coastal protection project in the Volta Region and the 4.0 kilometer New Takoradi Emergency Sea Defence Project (Phase II) at Elmina in the Central Region have also been completed.

“Also, the 2.0-kilometer Dansoman Emergency Sea Defence Project in the Greater Accra Region has continued and is currently 85% complete while the 5.0 Kilometer Axim Coastal Protection Project in the Western Region is 73% complete. Additionally, the 2.0-kilometer Amanful Kumah Coastal Protection Project is about 60% complete while the 5.0-kilometer Anomabu Coastal Protection Project is currently about 39% complete”.

The Works and Housing Minister further added that the coastal protection projects at Dixcove, Cape Coast, Komenda, and Elmina are at various stages of completion and progressing steadily.

“Also, the contractors working on the Aboadze Phase II and Ningo-Prampram Coastal protection projects are currently mobilizing to the site to commence actual construction works”.

According to him, other coastal settlements such as Takoradi, Shama, Apam, Kokrobite, Bortianor, Nungua, Dansoman, Mensah Guinea, Essipong, Anyanui and Blekusu amongst others continue to remain under serious threat to tidal wave destruction and erosion. Accordingly, he said the Ministry has programmed to extend its coastal protection works to these communities in the medium term.

“What is uppermost in the mind of the Ministry is to reclaim lands from the sea for world-class tourism development. This is how we convert a menace to a veritable source of foreign exchange. A sure example of this creativity is the hotel facility called Dan Hotel in Tel-Aviv”, he added.