Impacts of climate change on low-lying coastlines | The Muni coastal lagoon, Ghana

Course links: GCSE • IGCSE • A-level • IA-level • IB • National 5 • Higher Geography

Description

Coastal lagoons make up around 13% of global coastlines, providing important natural resources that support millions of people. However, global climate change is posing immediate and long-term challenges for people who rely on low-lying coastlines. This is particularly the case for low income, rural communities who contribute least to global climate change and are some of the most vulnerable to its impacts.

In this video, we team up with geographers Daniel Koomson, Sian Davies-Vollum and Debadayita Raha to explore the interdisciplinary case study of the Muni coastal lagoon in Ghana, where climate change is affecting weather patterns, ocean conditions and natural resources. This is posing challenges for the residents of Akosua Village, who live on the lagoon barrier separating the calm waters of the lagoon from the wild Atlantic Ocean.

Attributions and Acknowledgements

Written and developed by: Sian Davies-Vollum, Debadayita Raha, Daniel Koomson, Rob Parker, Harriet Ridley, Tim Parker

Videography by: Rufina Kaloyanova, Harriet Ridley, Rob Parker

Thank you to Guoping Huang for providing stunning drone footage of Winneba and the Muni Coastal lagoon for use in this video.

How beautiful is Ghana | Winneba Aerial Shots by Pascal Adama is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from January 2016 through March 2020 by NASA Scientific Visualization Studio is in the public domain.

Échasse blanche (Himantopus h. himantopus) Black-winged Stilt by Pascal Vagner is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Starr 080602-5547 Sesuvium portulacastrum.jpg by Forest & Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

22-year Sea Level Rise - TOPEX/JASON by NASA Scientific Visualization Studio is in the public domain.

Fish Village? Winneba by oneVillage Initiative is licensed underCC BY-SA 2.0.

Lagoon View II by Andrew Moore is licensed underCC BY-SA 2.0.

Wave runup during Tropical Storm Colin at Madeira Beach, Florida by the USGS is in the public domain.

Unreasonable at Sea: Vignette - Protei Experiences Fishing in Ghana by Unreasonable is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Garner Films by Garner Films is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

GHANA by Garner Films is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Fishing in Ghana, near Axium by Cesar Harada is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

July Blue Marble Next Generation by NASA Visible Earth is in the public domain.

Fisherman throwing a castnet in the Muni lagoon near Winneba Ghana is licensed from Alamy