Assessment of the Interlinkages between Coastal Flooding, Erosion and Cultural Ecosystem Services in Ada, Ghana.

Abstract

Cultural ecosystem services (non-material benefits that are derived from ecosystems that are derived from coastal systems are increasingly reducing due to ecological changes that are occurring within the coastal environment. Understanding the dynamics of these changes and their implications for sustainable coastal environmental management is imperative. Cultural ecosystem services in coastal areas are affected by several factors such as erosion, saline intrusion, loss of place and coastal flooding. Coastal flooding along the coast of Ghana has led to significant damage to properties and livelihoods with negative social consequences. However, various ways in which coastal flooding affects cultural ecosystem services is yet to be fully understood. This thesis assesses the interlinkages between coastal erosion, coastal flooding and cultural ecosystem services in Ada along the eastern coast of Ghana. Firstly, assessed community perceptions of the drivers of coastal flooding, assessed the status of ecosystems services and predicted the future implications of flooding on cultural ecosystem services in Ada. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected from 358 respondents in seven communities in the Ada East and Ada West Districts of the Greater Accra Region. Perceptions of the drivers of flooding among community residents in Ada were investigated and compared to data on the drivers of flooding from 1985 to 2017. Structural Equation Model (SEM), a confirmatory analysis tool, was used to validate the relationship between the latent variable flooding and various categories of drivers. The results showed that the drivers of flooding in Ada are both climatic and anthropogenic with climatic drivers being dominant. Three cultural ecosystems services identified in Ada which were Place, Aesthetics and Recreation. Cultural livelihood was discovered as new cultural ecosystem service which expands the suite of cultural ecosystem services further. Extensive flooding has resulted in loss of place (physical, cultural and even imaginary location that is differentiated and emotionally meaningful to people), vegetation degradation and deterioration of landscape. The path analysis results indicate that the effect of flooding is a significant predictor of place with a coefficient of 0.015 and a p-value of 0.01. In addition, the mediation effect of flooding is a statistically significant predictor of cultural livelihood and recreation (p-values 0.00 and 0.05, respectively), but an insignificant predictor of aesthetic (p-value -0.02). Results from the Bayesian network model, climatic drivers including sea level rise, rainfall, wave and wind speeds, present severe threats to the coastal dwellers of Ada East and West Districts. Currently, cultural ecosystem services are impacted. The model predicts that an increase in intensity of climatic drivers from 38.7% to 80% is likely to increase flood incidence from 42.1% to 58.3%. An increase in the intensity of non-climatic drivers also by 80% is likely to increase flood incidence by to 44.5% from the current level of 42.1%. This shows that relative to climatic drivers, non-climatic drivers have less impact on flooding in Ada. Cultural ecosystem services which local people depend on will decline significantly from 44.6% poor to 54.3% poorer. With adequate policy interventions such as provision of alternative livelihood support, construction of landing beaches and involvement of local people in the design of policies to address coastal flooding, the model predicts an improvement in ecosystem health from 36.7% to 48.5%. This implies that policy intervention should be more aligned towards measures to reduce the intensity of climatic drivers while maintaining anthropogenic drivers at their current levels.