Photos: Coastal erosion ravages Agavedzi, Salakope, and Amutinu communities

Audio By Carbonatix

Over the years, there has been intense coastal erosion at sections of the southeastern coastline of Ghana due to climate change.

Homes have been washed away with the sea eating deep into the communities of Agavedzi, Salakope, and Amutinu, rendering thousands of residents homeless. Remnants of their buildings are sitting beneath the sea.

This disaster has impoverished livelihoods, forcing some of the victims to flee to bigger settlements to earn a living and also be free from the ravages of the sea.

Sections in these communities were again attacked in February and March 2025, displacing over 600 residents. Their homes and belongings were washed away.

Some affected victims are keeping up in makeshift frond structures while others spend the nights in the open.

An aerial view of the ravages caused by the high waves. The sea keeps eating deep into the Agavedzi community.

An aerial view of Agavedzi at sunset, when the waves start to get high, driving the sea beyond the shorelines.

Shots of where the sea defense wall constructed in 2016 ended. The exact location where the sea began its ravaging from, heading southeast toward the border community of Aflao.

The most devastated area in the last month, leading to sections of the Denu-Keta highway gradually becoming the shorelines.

The sea charged by the high waves makes its way into the community.

This image gives you a deep insight into how the sea had swept off buildings turning a once vibrant human settlement area into beaches. The spot has become a tourist zone as people visit to have a view of the devastation caused. They save a few shots of the spot on their phones.

The cemetery wasn't spared by the waves which drove the sea to break open century-old graves.

Some volunteers working in the community cemetery, exhuming their loved ones. This activity threatens public health in the vicinity.

They have almost broken into the grave of a traditional leader of the Agavedzi Community.

One of the volunteers enters the grave to collect the remains of the leader for reburial.

A limp bone of the leader being added to other skeletal parts collected in the grave.

These walls succumbed to the evening high waves of the sea on the 3rd of March of 2025.

Some victims spend the night in the open. They lay on mats in the sandy spaces as their homes were washed away by the sea.

Christian was forced to erect a frond structure to house his 3-member family. The incident has rendered him hopeless as he has no means to recover from the disaster and improve the well-being of his family.

The last walls holding up the sea from reaching the Denu-Keta highway.

The most affected area in Agavedzi is sandwiched between the seas and the Lagoon.

One of the households at the mercy of the high waves.

This households had been completely damaged, compelling residents to move to the other side of the road in makeshift structures.

The main shrine of the community with heavy vegetation was destroyed by the current waves. Most of the huge trees that occupied the spiritual spot for the community were uprooted and swept away. This depicts how the coastal erosion is also affecting the culture and traditions of the locals.

A deserted area along the coast of Agavedzi.

The image depicts the volume of sand washed off the shores of Agavedzi within the last month.
Considering the indication on the well, about 2.5 feet of sand had been eroded by the sea.

Remnants of a household devastated by the sea. In no time, these walls will find their way to bottom of the ocean.

A view of the new shoreline with elements of broken walls and coconut trees, which may be washed away in no time.

Victims construct slate barricades around their makeshift structures to prevent the sea from entering their rooms when it makes its way across the road.

Evelyn Setu staring at the sea in despair. She is left with one room unit that is about 30 meters away from the shoreline. Her building is prone to be wrecked by the sea in a few days if the waves continue to get high.

Makafui, a victim of the coastal erosion sitting in front of the building her paresnts left for them. 10 units of rooms have already been washed away by the sea. She feared the remnant would not last until mid-2025, hence took measures to deroof it and keep the roofing slates.

The waves get intense in the late afternoon, evening, and dawn. This is when the ravaging takes place, causing residents sleepless nights.

A cesspit left open. In it is water mixed with fecal matter.

A view of the ravaged area in Agavedzi, which has been deserted by residents for fear of losing their lives and properties.

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Agavedzi

Coastal erosion

Salakope