{
  "id": 4917081,
  "title": "KNUST study warns sea defence is shifting coastal threats to unprotected communities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/knust-study-warns-sea-defence-is-shifting-coastal-threats-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-01T18:12:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/knust-study-warns-sea-defence-is-shifting-coastal-threats-to-unprotected-communities/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A three-year study conducted by researchers at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) highlights the growing threat of coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion along Ghana's eastern coastline. The research, part of the TIDEKIT project, reveals that existing sea defenses along parts of the Keta coastline are redirecting coastal impacts towards unprotected communities. The study found that some sections of the coastline have lost over 103 meters of land, while areas near the Volta Estuary have experienced erosion rates of up to 30.5 meters per year. In some communities, seawater has spread more than 1.3 kilometers inland, contaminating groundwater and jeopardizing freshwater supplies. Experts are now calling for enhanced coastal monitoring and early warning systems to help vulnerable communities prepare for tidal waves and flooding. Dr Cyril D. Boateng, the principal investigator and head of the WAGeo Lab, urged key agencies including NADMO, GMet, EPA, Water Resources Commission, and GPHA to implement these recommendations. The project also aims to develop locally available coastal monitoring systems and meteorological stations to support early warning, groundwater monitoring, and long-term coastal planning.",
  "summary": "A three-year study by researchers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has found worsening coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion along Ghana’s eastern coastline, with some communities facing increasing threats from tidal flooding. The study, conducted under the TIDEKIT (Protecting the Coast and Heritage of Keta Using Integrated Geophysical Methods) project, suggests…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}