Flood
Government, in an attempt to end the perennial flooding challenges that bedevil the country, has so far spent GH₵450 million in the National Flood Control and Priority Drainage Programme since 2017.
This is a substantial increment from the GH₵88 million invested by the previous government between 2011 and 2016. Government says it is also collaborating with the World Bank to invest more than $200 million to address solid waste and flood risk challenges in the Odaw Drainage Basin.
“The project will also see the development and implementation of a Flood Early Warning System to enhance community safety and resilience,” Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister of Works and Housing, has stated.
Addressing Parliament on measures taken to address the increasing risk of flooding across the country, the Minister said the level of commitment shown by the government in tackling the problem had resulted in a reduction of flooding incidents in the past few years.
Shared responsibility
He noted that while the government is making every effort to ensure flood risk is minimised, it is important to highlight that government alone cannot do this.
He said it is therefore incumbent on every citizen to complement the effort of government, take their own safety seriously and be more mindful of the manner in which solid waste is disposed of.
“I further wish to call on MMDAs to strictly enforce planning laws and building codes to prevent development in waterways, floodplains and wetlands. Where these are flouted, the MMDAs need to take decisive action to rectify the situation urgently in the interest of protecting the good people of Ghana,” he said.
He disclosed that Cabinet, at its sitting on Thursday June 24 2021, approved, for the consideration of Parliament, the Bill for the establishment of the Ghana Hydrological Authority.
The Authority, he noted, would undertake hydraulic modelling to inform housing and infrastructural development planning across the country to ensure that they are steered away from flood prone areas.
“The Authority will also develop and promote higher drainage standards, including the use of nature-based drainage solutions. Moreover, the Authority will ensure that flood risk assessments are undertaken for all major infrastructural developments, so they are resilient to both current and future flood risks.
“The proposed Hydrological Authority Bill will include a National Hydrology Fund which will facilitate the effective functioning of the Authority including attracting private sector participation in drainage provision,” he stated.
Causes and effects
Mr Asenso-Boakye noted that the causes of flooding in the country are multi-faceted, which include inefficient drains, undersized culverts and uncontrolled development in flood plains, wetlands and waterways.
“Additionally, indiscriminate dumping of solid waste into our drains by households contribute significantly to urban flooding,” he stated.
He explained that due to the perennial floods that occur in the country, lives have been lost, properties destroyed, people displaced, transport links disconnected, economic activities disrupted and livelihoods uprooted.
“Flooding also impacts adversely on the mental health of victims and undermines their ability to contribute meaningfully to economic growth,” he said.
According to him, in the past three decades, the country has experienced seven major floods.
“The World Bank estimates that $3.2 billion (4.45% of GDP) worth of economic assets are at risk of flooding in the Greater Accra Region alone and this figure is expected to quadruple by 2050 without urgent action(World Bank Press Release, 29 May 2019). One can only imagine the value of assets that are at risk to flooding across the country,” he said.
He therefore called on Parliament to lend its full support when the Bill is presented before them, considering the enormous advantages of setting up the Ghana Hydrological Authority.
