Along Ghana's southeastern coast, entire neighborhoods are vanishing as the ocean pushes farther inland.

In Awudum, a coastal suburb of Tema, residents say rising seas and intensifying storms are leaving communities with nowhere to go, according to The i Paper.

What's happening?

In Awudum, homes now sit dangerously close to collapsing cliffs above the Gulf of Guinea, according to The Ghanaian Chronicle. Locals say waves are reaching farther inland each year, eroding beaches and weakening foundations.

"It's more than 100 houses that we lost here," resident Isaac Quansah told The i Paper, describing how entire streets in Awudum have disappeared into the ocean.

UNESCO estimates Ghana's coastline is eroding at an average rate of about two meters (6.6 feet) per year, with some areas losing as much as 17 meters (55 feet) annually.

Around a quarter of Ghana's population lives near the coast, and many communities now face similar threats.

Why is this concerning?

While coastal erosion has always existed, scientists say rising sea levels driven by planet-overheating pollution from burning coal, oil, and gas are supercharging the damage. Higher baseline sea levels allow storm surges and waves to reach farther inland, accelerating erosion and making it more destructive.

In Awudum, fishing, a primary source of food and income from local mackerel, catfish, and tuna, is under threat as fish-smoking sites and tools are washed away.

Without refrigeration and other lost infrastructure, this means spoiled food and lost work, particularly for women who rely on fish preservation for income.

"When the fish comes there's nothing we can do," Quansah said, per The i Paper. "Some of them get spoiled without any use."

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Sea level rise doesn't just flood coastlines; it also contaminates freshwater sources, erases cultural sites, and increases the displacement of coastal communities, disproportionately affecting communities that contributed the least to the pollution driving the problem.

What's being done about these conditions?

Ghana's government has begun constructing sea defense projects along vulnerable stretches of coastline, including the Keta Sea Defence Project to the southeast, some of which are funded by the World Bank. Other potential resilience strategies include restoring natural coastal buffers like wetlands and strengthening early warning systems.

But with more than 300 miles of populated coastline, adaptation alone won't be enough without reducing our reliance on energy sources that pollute and overheat the planet, leading to rising sea levels worldwide. International cooperation, clean energy investment, and financial support for frontline communities will be critical.

"If there's nothing done fast I don't know what will happen," Quansah said, per The i Paper.

For individuals, exploring critical climate issues, supporting clean energy policies, resilient infrastructure, and community-led adaptation strategies can help protect local communities before they are lost to extreme weather.

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