Tidal waves cut off roads, fuel tensions in Ketu South
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
A major environmental disaster is unfolding along the Salakope-Amutsinu coastal stretch in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region, where violent tidal waves have rendered a key road nearly impassable, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded and sparking tensions between residents and commercial drivers.
The tidal waves, which have intensified over the past several days, have completely taken over a crucial section of the coastal road that links several communities from Keta to Denu. The devastation is most severe during late afternoons, when surging seawater pushes far inland, cutting off traffic and halting economic activities in one of Ghana’s most vulnerable coastal belts.
At the peak of the chaos, passengers traveling in both directions were forced to abandon their journeys as they found themselves trapped—hemmed in by the encroaching sea on one side and a collapsed road network on the other. The growing frustration and despair among residents reached a boiling point on Tuesday, when a group of irate youths from Salakope and Amutsinu mounted a spontaneous roadblock, demanding immediate government intervention.
“We’re not doing this because we want to fight,” shouted one protester. “We’re doing this because nobody listens until we block a road. Every year the sea comes closer, every year we lose land, houses, and now even the road—but no one comes to help.”
The protest escalated into a near-clash between the youth and stranded commercial drivers, who pleaded to be allowed passage to carry their passengers to safety. It took hours of mediation and intervention by concerned stakeholders before calm was restored and the blockade lifted.
The devastation in Salakope and Amutsinu adds to a growing list of coastal communities in southern Volta that are bearing the brunt of rising sea levels and unchecked erosion. Over the past decade, entire villages have been swallowed by the sea, leaving thousands displaced and without livelihoods. Yet, despite repeated promises and policy pledges, residents say very little has changed.
“This place used to have a football field, a school, and several houses,” said a local elder. “Now it’s all gone. The sea has taken everything. And no one is doing anything.”
Residents are now renewing their calls for the government to deploy the long-promised coastal defense projects and to act urgently before the remaining communities along the coastline are wiped off the map.
As the waves continue to pound what is left of the road and property, the people of Salakope and Amutsinu are asking a simple question: “Is anybody listening?”
