An Assessment of the Effects of the Dansoman Emergency Sea Defence Project on the Livelihood of Residents of Glefe, Accra, Ghana.

Abstract

Resilient infrastructure, such as sea defence systems, have been instrumental in protecting the vulnerable coasts of countries. In Ghana, sea defence walls have been constructed to protect the coast against high tides and coastal erosion. The gap, however, remains in assessing how these structures affect the socio-economic indicators of development, especially livelihood. This study assessed the effects of the Dansoman Emergency Sea Defence Project Phase One (DESDP) on the livelihood of residents in Glefe. The results were obtained through the administration of 120 questionnaires, three (3) key informant interviews and two (2) focus group discussions using the mixed methodology design approach. The results show that the DESDP was key in safeguarding livelihood assets, which is essential in enhancing sustainable livelihood, whilst identifying that the construction of the DESDP negatively affected fish based livelihood especially, as it forced fishermen to move their operations from Glefe to neighbouring areas such as Dansoman and Panbros, with some having to move to Cape Coast. This was a key reason for the agitation of the fishermen which led to the call for a change in the initial design from a defence wall to a groyne at the latter stages of implementation. The responses show that the DESDP improved the livelihood of traders, since it prevented the intrusion of sea water into their wares, allowing the traders to set up stalls to run their businesses after the construction. The DESDP was key in protecting life and property, giving them peace of mind, which is relevant in pursuing their livelihood strategies. Along gender lines the results indicate that, formally educated males experienced a more positive effect of the DESDP on livelihood as compared to formally educated females. The study therefore recommends the need for a more holistic and gender-sensitive approach to the implementation of resilient infrastructure projects, and the need to incorporate local knowledge geared towards building hybrid infrastructure that incorporates nature-based solutions, without political interference.