Conserving Coastal Lagoons by Enhancing Ecosystem Services

Conserving Coastal Lagoons by Enhancing Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of the Muni-Pomadze Lagoon in Ghana

van Klaveren, Wouter (TU Delft Civil Engineering and Geosciences)
Houtzager, Daan (TU Delft Civil Engineering and Geosciences)
Nguyen, Toan (TU Delft Civil Engineering and Geosciences)
Ozcan, Aylin (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)
Liu, Danyan (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)
Das Sharma, Asmeeta (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)
Prida Guillén, Álvaro (TU Delft Civil Engineering and Geosciences)
Blom, Michelle (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)
Leung, Ranee (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)

Hooimeijer, Fransje (mentor)
van Berchum, Erik (graduation committee)
Rikkert, Stephan (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Multidisciplinary project

2019-06-18

Rapid urbanisation and globalisation are bringing increasingly complex issues to the forefront. Improper planning of human activities and over exploitation of the surrounding natural resources has successfully damaged the biodiversity and the natural processes. Today humanity is at a stage where these ecosystem services are essential for our existence but the resources have been exploited beyond their capacity. In addition, climate change adds additional long-term threats due to erratic weather patterns and extreme natural events. Coastal Lagoons are one such geographical feature where such complexities are very visible. Given the high fertility of the surrounding land and the biodiversity hosted by the lagoons, they are rich resource banks for settlements to thrive on. This has led to issues like water pollution, loss of biodiversity and urban encroachment. Despite protection from the international communities like the Ramsar Convention, most wetlands are degrading everyday. The need of the hour is to find innovative middle ground solutions, where the services can be availed without degrading the environment. Further, to plan these services in a way that they are instrumental in reviving and enriching the lost ecosystem. This project attempts to present on such design and strategy for the Muni-Pomadze Lagoon (MPL) in Ghana. Considering the complexity of the issues, the project chose a interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to produce a holistic solution for the site. Further, it uses the principles of Nature-Based Design and 4-P framework (People, Planet, Prosperity and Project) to guide and reflect on the design. (van Dorst & Duijvestein 2004) This report attempts to contribute to the research on interdisciplinary design processes. Further, it aims to be a starting point and guideline for the Forestry Commission and Municipal body of Winneba, for better conservation of the Muni Lagoon.

Ghana
Coastal Lagoons
Muni-Pomadze Protected Area
Conservation of a Coastal Lagoon
Forestry Commission

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8eb1897e-74e3-4d3d-bcbc-a2103c43d51d

5.35

Student theses

student report

© 2019 Wouter van Klaveren, Daan Houtzager, Toan Nguyen, Aylin Ozcan, Danyan Liu, Asmeeta Das Sharma, Álvaro Prida Guillén, Michelle Blom, Ranee Leung