It is a phenomenon that has plagued the Togolese coast for several years: the sea is moving across the continent and across the sandy beaches of Togo. The swells turn into strong waves that crash into the coast and destroy it by swallowing everything, from house to coast. ”In cemeteries.
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On the beaches, the remains of abandoned houses are legion. Sunken cemeteries leave some grave ruins. All this is visible after the harbor: a set of ruins belonging to families, some of which have gone far away and become tenants in their homes.
Edoh saw his inn leave in a few days, and he remembers it. “I owned a beach. In 2010, we saw that things developed a lot. One night it took the huts to the sea, the second night it took the bungalows and the third day the sea advanced more than 30 meters. Everything we had was taken into the sea ”.
So many, homeowners, to see their goods transported by sea on this part is after the autonomous port of Lomé. Erosion is very pronounced on this side of the Togolese coast. It depends on the natural phenomenon, but also and above all on human activities such as the installation of port infrastructures.
“From the Ghanaian border to the port of Lomé, we have a sedimentation zone. On the other hand, downstream of the harbor, the coast lacks sedimentary respiration, which will force the water to recycle the sediments in order to advance east. Hence the erosion, ”indicates Damien Etsé Gatogo, a geographer at Lomé University.
During the 55 km coast, more than half is eaten away and the sea continues to swallow a good deal every day. There is no definitive solution to stop the phenomenon: some sustainable measures will be implemented by the Waca regional project, a West African coastal management program. Its coordinator, Adou Rahim Alimi Assimiou, is very enthusiastic about what will be done in the Togolese region. “We will build ears on both sides and fill with sand between the ears,” he explains.
Other structures improvised between Gbétsogbe and Mandela Beach, by Eklou Naté, a resident engineer for Bridges and Roads. They consist of bringing the sea to empty compartments with wells to recreate the beach. All these works have only a limited lifespan. During this time, the sea moves forward, passing by and eating at the coast every day that passes.
