Wetlands as nature-based solutions to climate-induced coastal hazards: Institutional perspectives from the Keta Lagoon Complex, Ghana

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as vital strategies for building climate resilience in coastal ecosystems. However, their effective implementation in West African wetlands remains constrained by fragmented governance and limited institutional capacity. This study investigates how institutional stakeholders understand, engage with, and govern wetland-based NbS in Ghana’s largest coastal Ramsar site—the Keta Lagoon Complex. Using qualitative methods (including 14 key informant interviews, two gender-stratified focus group discussions, and field-based participant observation), the study explores perceptions of ecosystem services, barriers to NbS uptake, and opportunities for scaling locally grounded interventions. Findings reveal that although stakeholders acknowledge the lagoon’s provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, conceptual clarity around NbS remains limited, and institutional mandates are often siloed. Funding for ecosystem-based approaches is also largely donor-dependent. Despite these challenges, the study identifies cultural protection norms, emerging NbS pilot sites, and upcoming policy planning cycles as enabling factors that could support the integration of NbS into coastal development frameworks. This study recommends repositioning the Keta Lagoon Complex as a flagship landscape for ecosystem-based adaptation by promoting integrated, participatory governance models that can harness the full potential of wetlands as transformative climate solutions.