Managing our coastal wetlands: Lessons from the Western Region Policy Brief 2

Despite the government's commitment to wetlands management and protection, there remains a lack of formal mechanisms for their management and protection. The Western Region is home to some of the richest and most diverse coastal wetlands areas in Ghana, providing critical functions and services such as conserving fresh water, absorbing flood waters, and serving as nurseries for marine fish and wildlife. The threats to the coastal wetlands are also threats to Ghana's food security and to the livelihoods of fisherfolk in coastal communities throughout West Africa. Coastal wetlands must be recognized as a critical component of food security. The global pattern of wetlands destruction is playing out in Ghana, despite the country's recognition of the importance of wetlands through ratification of the international RAMSAR Convention in 1988 and the designation of six RAMSAR sites for special management and preservation. Recent field surveys conducted by the Hen Mpoano Initiative suggest that half of the mangrove wetlands have been reduced or degraded during the past two decades. Wetlands are often the only remaining undeveloped areas within coastal towns and their immediate surroundings. When urban areas experience accelerated expansion, developers often seek to fill in the wetlands and build, leading to drainage problems, periodic flooding, and associated impacts. Ghanaian law states that any project that will impact a wetland must first conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment. However, in most cases, these assessments are not completed. The ratification of the RAMSAR convention and the National Wetlands Conservation Strategy and Action Plan has done little to slow encroachment. Fortunately, the Western Region has a unique opportunity to utilize the ongoing detailed spatial planning underway through the Western Region Spatial Development Framework process and district coastal wetlands spatial planning support provided by the Town and Country Planning Department. The Hen Mpoano program is currently experimenting with a variety of co-management approaches, including the development of wetlands protection byelaws at the district level and the establishment of Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA) to involve the local population in wetlands conservation. However, the success of these approaches is not a foregone conclusion, and local capacity is essential for implementation and reaping the benefits of wetlands protection.