Climate Variability and Water Quality Challenges in the Keta Municipality of Ghana

Background Climate change impacts on public health is a great concern to governments of nations. Keta Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana has been experiencing recurrent tidal waves in recent times. The 2025 tidal waves rendered communities homeless and destroyed properties worth millions of dollars. The study assessed the effects of climate change crises on water quality supply and proffer relevant solutions. Methods A concurrent mixed method design was employed in this study. A multi-stage was sampling used to select 422 study participants for the quantitative aspect of the study. Purposive sampling was employed to select study participants for the qualitative study. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 29.0. Multivariate regression analysis was applied in this study. The qualitative data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis with the help Nvivo. Results The results showed that respondents’ educational level was significantly associated with their rating of access to water following climate change-related crises such as tidal waves and other climate variabilities in the municipality. Respondents with no formal education were 3.48 times more likely to rate their access to water as average rather than good (P = 0.0027, OR = 3.48). Respondents who had lived in the area for 11–30 years were 3.70 times more likely to rate their access to water as average compared to good (P = 0.02, OR = 3.70). A majority of respondents reported that previously reliable water sources had been degraded or lost due to tidal waves, coastal erosion, and saline intrusion. Conclusion There was a notable lack of awareness about public or institutional measures to combat climate-health impacts. The study recommends Water Resources Commission and Ghana Water Company to review and strengthen water safety plan in the coastal communities.