The Fisheries Committee for the Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) has convened a three-day Scenario Development Stakeholder Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in Ghana, bringing together together technical expertise, spatial evidence and stakeholder perspectives to explore alternative future scenarios and identify priorities for the sustainable management of the country's marine and coastal areas.
Held from 28 to 30 October 2026 in Accra, the workshop focused on assessing existing marine and coastal conditions, examining potential future developments and generating stakeholder-informed scenarios to guide the ongoing Marine Spatial Planning process in Ghana.
The workshop forms part of the FCWC-implemented project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which promotes innovative approaches, including Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), to support sustainable marine and coastal resource management.
The workshop focused on establishing a common understanding of existing conditions within Ghana's marine and coastal areas, with particular attention to the Western Region and the Shama–Half Assini corridor.
Technical presentations provided insights into the spatial evidence base developed to support Marine Spatial Planning, covering physical and oceanographic characteristics, ecosystems and biodiversity, human activities and infrastructure, environmental pressures, and climate vulnerability.
Participants also examined interactions between different marine and coastal activities, including competing uses of marine space, potential conflicts and cumulative environmental pressures. These discussions highlighted the importance of reliable spatial information and stakeholder knowledge in identifying planning challenges and opportunities.
The three-day workshop underscored the importance of an inclusive, participatory and evidence-based approach to Marine Spatial Planning. By bringing together technical information, spatial analysis and stakeholder perspectives, the scenario development process provided an opportunity to move beyond assessing existing conditions towards anticipating future changes and their implications for marine and coastal management. The exercises demonstrated the value of exploring alternative development pathways, understanding their spatial implications and identifying potential trade-offs before translating preferred outcomes into planning priorities.
The outputs generated by the working groups constitute important inputs for further consideration in Ghana's Marine Spatial Planning process. They will contribute to ongoing discussions on the sustainable use of marine space, the protection of important ecosystems, the management of competing activities and the identification of opportunities for sustainable coastal and marine development.
As Ghana continues to advance its Marine Spatial Planning agenda, FCWC will continue to support the process through technical coordination, stakeholder engagement and the promotion of integrated approaches to sustainable marine and coastal resource management. Through its regional experience and partnerships with national institutions and development partners, the Committee seeks to contribute to a planning framework that accommodates the needs of different marine users, strengthens ecosystem protection and safeguards the long-term sustainability of marine resources and coastal livelihoods.
Accra, Ghana | 30 October 2026
