Historic Castles Of Cape Coast Threatened By Climate Change

African diasporans are returning in droves to Ghana's beautiful and historic Cape Coast so Ghana is doing everything to save their coastlines from climate change erosion.

Accelerated by climate change, rising sea levels and increased storm surges and floods are washing away Ghana's famed slave forts and castles - jeopardising coastal jobs, homes, as well as the country's thriving tourism industry, say experts.So now is the time for those who seek a spiritual connection to ancestors who survived the Slave trade to return to the Motherland and get an understanding of the reality their ancestors experienced.

Between 2005 and 2017, 37% of the coastal land around the town of Keta was lost erosion and floods, according to research conducted by Ghana University's Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS).Currently, the coastline is eroding at an average annual rate of about two meters (6.6 feet) - but some areas have recorded up to 17 meters (56 feet) of erosion in a single year. Global warming is responsible, said Kwasi Appeaning Addo, IESS's director and associate professor in coastal processes and delta studies.

Taken by European slave traders, men, women and children were held in horrific conditions in the myriad of colonial trading posts dotted along the West African coast, previously known as the Gold Coast due to the extensive trade in gold. Crammed into dark, airless dungeons, they were branded, beaten, chained and starved for weeks. Many died before the ships arrived from Europe to take them to the Americas. Others perished in the cramped hulls of boats during the long journey.These seaside slave fortresses have not only shaped Ghana's history, but have also become places of pilgrimage for members of the African diaspora wishing to connect with their roots and pay homage to their ancestors.

Events such as Ghana's "Year of Return" in 2019, to mark the 400 years since the first recorded African slaves arrived in North America to work in the plantations in British colonies, saw record numbers of African-Americans and European Africans visiting the country for heritage tours that they say have been instrumental in their spiritual and psychological healing from remnants of systemic racism and white supremacy that still exist in the many nations of the stressful and exigent African diaspora.A non-governmental organization, Climate Change Advisors Ghana (CCAG), that seeks to promote climate change mitigation, adaptation and environmental sustainability and renewable energy in Africa has been inaugurated in Cape Coast.

The NGO further seeks to support the country's attempts at conserving biodiversity, enhancing smallholder farmer livelihoods and reducing emissions from land-use changes in high forest and transition zones.

The impact of climate change on our environment is very huge and we need to put measures in place to mitigate such impact soon, and this NGO is ready to take up climate change matters by providing advocacy, research policy analysis, capacity development, training and policy direction for governments and other stakeholders to realize the goal