Every year, residents of Amutinu, Agavedzi, Vodza and Anyanui in the Keta Municipality are rendered homeless as well as their livelihoods destroyed by tidal waves.

The people who are predominantly fisher folks have stated that the developments caused by the annual tidal wave have resulted in hardship.

According to them, they are now struggling with what they described as a twin devil - coronavirus as well as tidal destruction, the high current from the sea breaks its bank into several communities displacing dozens of residents.

A tidal wave is a  regularly reoccurring shallow water wave caused by the effects of the gravitational interactions between the Sun, Moon, and Earth on the ocean. Communities along coastal areas are the majority who suffer the impact of destructions caused by Tidal waves.

A 2019 report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) suggests that “pollution around coastlines was having a significant effect on oxygen levels, with fertilizer and agricultural runoff promoting more algae growth, which in turn depletes oxygen as it decomposes.”

It is even more worrying as several studies have predicted that by the middle of the 21st century, there will be more plastic than fishes in the world’s ocean. In Ghana, some of the effects of pollution in the ocean are already being seen as fisher folks are catching more plastic than fish.

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Also, outboard motors, fixed on canoes to help with navigation on the sea are very often interrupted by the solid waste in the ocean.

The deprived residents and the municipal authorities have initiated plans which focus on bringing out measures to combat and help educate the public on ways of finding solutions to these problems.

Reporters were sent to the affected areas in the Ketu South, Keta and Anloga Constituencies to get first-hand information on the effects of the tidal destruction along the Amutinu, Agavedzi, Vodza and Anyanui on how they are coping and managing amid this destruction.

The research team was at Amutinu in the Ketu South Constituency to meet fisherfolks to find out about the challenges and dangers they are posted with as tidal waves have affected the community.

A resident of Amutinu, Madam Abla Mawufemor, a mother of four and a fish monger at Amutinu told the team the tidal Waves has affected her oven, house and fish she smoked to be sent to the market a night before the destruction. She explained that the situation in  the community has affected  her business.

According to her, she relied on a loan facility to buy the fresh fish from the fishermen before she smokes but with the current development she has no idea how she will refund the money because she has lost everything to the waves.

She further narrated that she had to fall on relatives for survival and a place for her family to sleep because their house was pulled down by the waves and her only hope will be to traveling to Abuja or Akosombo to start a new life.

Mr. Major, owner of Majorviwo fishing company,  also narrated his ordeal “At about 2 am, I heard screaming from afar calling for help, few minutes later, a member of my fishing company came to inform me about how the tidal wave has taken away their fishing boat that contains their fishing net,” he said.

The team observed that there is no sea defense wall to protect the coastline from this tidal Waves. This has been identified as the major contributing factor to the massive destruction caused by the sea waves,Mr. Major underscored.

According to him, he lived all his life along the coast and fed his large family from what he got from the sea.

“When the tides are high, you need to stay home all day and sometimes weeks,” he said.

He continued that there is no help from anywhere because their wives also get their livelihood from the sea as fishmongers.

Mr. Major added that once a while, affected persons receive support from government through the Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO)

He cited that the Assembly man for the Amutinu Electoral Area, Hon Sylvester Kumawu assisted the displayed residents with temporal structures during bad times while others perch with relatives and friends with others also moving to towns such as Anlo Afiadenyigba.

In a bid to find a lasting solution to the problem, residents threatened to boycott the 2020 general elections if a sea defense project is not initiated by government or the harbour as promised to the people of Keta.

A benevolent organization known as Sustainable Ocean Alliance Ghana is currently pitching camp along Ketu South, Keta and Anlogah coastlines and is hoping get other stakeholders to get more on this natural disaster and the way forward as well as government, assembly on finding a lasting solution to the problem.

Michael K. Ahiaku, Volta Regional Correspondent