The year has moved into its 4th month and in less than three weeks the country will reel into its raining season.

The raining season in Ghana which commences from June to September every year; usually moves along with heavy floods which in effect creates lots of disasters.

Precious human lives and properties running into millions of US dollars have been lost through some major disasters caused by the perennial floods.

Ghana is susceptible to a range of natural disasters like floods, storms, and landslides. These events are often caused by a combination of factors, including climate change, deforestation, and poor urban planning. Floods are a frequent occurrence in Ghana, especially during the rainy season, which runs from May to September.  We all recall what happened on June 3, 2015 where we experienced the June 3rd rain fire disaster.

The capital city of Ghana, Accra, was hit by a flash flood that left over 200 people dead and destroyed around US$100 million worth of properties and assets. In the last 20 years, an estimated four hundred people have been killed and around four million people have been displaced by flooding. The worse flood-affected regions in Ghana include Greater Accra, Volta, Central, Western, and Eastern Regions.  In Sekondi-Takoradi, flooding is a major  cause of homelessness loss of lives and livelihood are  Common in Kumasi.   In Accra, demand for residential housing exceeds supply, so construction in flood-prone areas have become common.

According to the World Bank, an estimated two million people in Accra are at risk of flooding.  Flood induced losses can be tangible and/or intangible; intangible losses include physical, emotional, and mental health issues that people experience.

Assessment of flood impacts are often about property and infrastructure damages at the sub-national level. Floods in Accra are usually caused by heavy rains that occur in June and July. The massive growth of Accra has increased the extent of impervious surfaces such as roads, rooftops, and sidewalks that prevent water infiltration and lead to increased discharge that overloads drainage channels; flaws in the drainage network such as undersized, unconnected, or improperly channeled drains contribute to the flooding problem Flash floods which result from localized storms are caused by events which are  hard to predict using technology Flash floods are influenced by ‘urban heat island effect’; it refers to the phenomenon where urban areas experience higher temperatures compared to their surrounding rural areas due to the concentration of human activities and the built environment.

Furthermore, rapid population growth especially in urban areas has generated haphazard development which destroys the integrity of the landscape to accommodate large volumes of runoff to avert floods.

In general, the cause of floods in urban areas can be traced to three factors; excessive rainfall, increased imperviousness, and absence of drainage systems. Excessive or intense rainfall is considered a direct cause of floods especially in urban areas with impervious surfaces; often, drainage facilities do not have the capacity to accommodate the runoff, In fact, poor waste management, poor engineering of drains, development in flood plain or along waterways, the possible effect of climate change, lack of enforcement, haphazard or unplanned development, and low-lying nature of land are considered secondary or indirect causes of floods.

Already, the Ghana Meteorological Agency has issued a weather forecast indicating heavy rains and thunderstorms this year.

The most flood prone locations in Accra include: Tse Addo,Weija ,Adabraka ,Amasaman ,Pokuase Ofankor, Kwame Nkrumah Circle Industrial area, Dzorwulu, Kotobabi, Kaneshie, Kasoa, some part of East Legon, Atico, Abelemkpe, Abolo Junction, Airport Residential area and Bawaleshie

The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID), Dr Ohene Sarfo has announced that measures are being implemented to address perennial floods during the rainy season.

He emphasised that consultants have been commissioned to undertake various designs for engineering solutions to the persistent flooding in drainage areas.

Addressing the media during a meeting with the Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and other stakeholders on Saturday, April 13, Dr Sarfo stated that contracts have been awarded since last year for several interventions, with progress being made in concluding designs for remaining works.

He clarified that contracts have been awarded for dredging the Odaw under a new framework called the Performance-Based Contracting Approach to Dredging, with the contractor currently on site conducting dredging activities.

“We have also awarded a contract for the repairs and widening of the broken sections of the Odaw channel from the Achimota overhead, all the way to the N1 overhead. We have awarded a contract for the reconstruction of the drain from Nima-Paloma on the Ring Road all the way to the pedestrian mall outfall in the Odaw channel.” 

Dr Sarfo further stated that contracts have been awarded for upgrading sections of the Alogboshie community in the Greater Accra region, where perennial flooding persists despite major interventions.

“The analysis showed that those communities lacked basic infrastructure, drainage infrastructure in particular, plus other basic services. And so there are two contracts being undertaken in Alogboshie that would improve the stormwater drain as well as the local drains, pedestrian access ways, vehicular access ways with the extension of the water network as well as street lighting. 

“Similarly, we have another intervention at Akweteyman that suffers the same conditions as Alogboshie and will do similar interventions of stormwater improvement, local drains, vehicular improvements, pedestrian access improvements, water supply extension, and street lighting,” he added. 

The GARID Project Coordinator maintained that contracts have been awarded for a section of Nima where the contractor is in place and undertaking similar interventions as the other two communities.

“We are happy also to inform you that we have received approval to award contracts for the reconstruction and expansion of the drainage in Kaneshie, and we are presently going to issue what we call the standstill period, where we will notify all bidders and then following on which we will proceed to contract the winning contractor to proceed to do the interventions.”

On his side, the Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, admitted that the project is not progressing as quickly as initially expected.

He clarified that review processes and mechanisms, including compensation for project-affected persons, contributed to the delays.

“We understand the reasons for some of the delays, but nonetheless, I think that it is fair to say that the project has not moved as quickly as we want it to move,” Mr Nkrumah stated.

He outlined efforts to resolve bottlenecks, including amending the review process to make it concurrent, providing compensation to project-affected persons, and ensuring secure areas where validation exercises have been completed.

“Number one is to amend the review process to make it concurrent instead of successive so that it is faster to do the reviews and to give the contractors permission to do the various phases of the work that is ahead of them. 

“We are also pleased that the amendments have been made, so that now some compensation can be made available to the project-affected persons, and then they can quickly vacate the places where the project will be requiring some interventions so that those interventions can also take place,” he added.

Parliament has expressed its dissatisfaction with Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta over the non-release of funds to the Ministry of Works and Housing for crucial drainage works aimed at addressing the persistent flooding in Accra and other parts of the country. 

This was after the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye was summoned together with the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta by the Speaker to provide an update to the House on the measures being taken to tackle the flooding problem in Accra and other parts of the country, after Kwame Agbodza, First Deputy Minority Whip raised concerns about the devastating impact of flooding in the country. 

Members of Parliament from both sides of the House voiced their concerns, highlighting that the government had failed to allocate funds to the Ministry since 2020, hampering its ability to effectively operate.

During the parliamentary discussion on Thursday June 29, 2020, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Works and Housing, appealed to the government to release funds to the Ministry.

The former Sports Minister explained that without the needed funding, the Ministry will not be able to undertake critical projects for flood control. 

He also emphasized the need for citizens to exhibit good behavior and refrain from indiscipline acts such as building in waterways, as these actions exacerbate the flooding problem.

Mpraeso MP, Davis Opoku Ansah drew attention to the Ghana Hydrological Authority, which was established last year, but has not received the necessary funds to efficiently carry out its mandate. 

He argued that establishing state institutions without providing adequate funding to tackle flooding issues renders them ineffective.

Ibrahim Ahmed, the MP for Banda and First Deputy Minority Whip, appealed to the Finance Minister to prioritize drainage construction in the mid-year budget review, emphasizing its importance.

In response, Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye defended the government’s commitment to addressing flooding. 

He stated that the government had allocated more funds to combat the problem and enhance community resilience than any other administration. Asenso-Boakye highlighted the National Flood Control Programmes (NFCP), which has received a significant investment of ¢450 million, representing the largest financial commitment by any government in the country’s history to tackle flooding challenges.

The Minister provided an update on the progress made, stating that 96% of desilting projects had been completed, with construction of 202 drainage channels already underway. The remaining 118 drainage projects were at various stages of completion.

While the government’s efforts seek to mitigate flooding impact and improve community resilience, MPs remain concerned about the lack of timely funding for the Ministry of Works and Housing and other relevant institutions. 

They urged the government to promptly address this issue in order to effectively tackle the persistent problem of flooding and prevent potential disasters in the country.

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has urged the public to pay close attention to weather forecasts.

The Communications Director of the Organisation, George Ayisi said this will help in reducing the incidents of casualties recorded mostly in the capital city after every downpour.

Mr. Ayisi maintains that adhering to weather forecasts would assist residents to move to safe zones when necessary.

“I urge everyone to be cautious. Especially for those in flood-prone areas. It will help if such people pay close attention to the weather forecast, so they adequately prepare for unpleasant situations,” he said in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.

Recent effects of flooding

An 18-year-old girl was confirmed dead at Tesano in Accra after being swept into a storm drain during Sunday’s rainstorm.

Residents say the deceased had tried to recover her slippers which fell into the drain but fell and was swept into a storm drain.

“One of the siblings was standing close to where the incident happened. She did not call anyone’s attention to it. By the time we realised, she was caught under the flood water,” an eyewitness told JoyNews.

“There was nothing we could do. She was lifeless when we got there,” he recounted.

Also, areas such as Kaneshie, Obetsebi-Lamptey Roundabout, Awudome, Okponglo and Shiashie were not spared from the flooding.

Housing Minister Francis Asenso-Boakye has called on Ghanaians to change their attitudes regarding how waste is dumped in drainages meant to enhance stormwater flow.

He observed that this will go a long way to complement government interventions against the perennial flooding in the capital and other parts of the country.

The MInister said this at the launch of a Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) for the Greater Accra Resilience and Integrated Development Project (GARID) on Wednesday, April 13 in Accra.

The Minister said for the country to find a lasting solution to the menace of flooding, government’s efforts must be complemented by appropriate waste disposal behaviours on the part of people and the commitment of various Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to enforce sanitation laws and strictly apply the necessary punitive measures without fear or favour.

The SBCC Campaign forms part of a holistic approach by government, through the GARID Project, to manage flood and solid waste in flood-prone informal settlements within the Odaw Basin.

Francis Asenso-Boakye also recounted the huge investments made by the Akufo-Addo administration under the National Flood Control and Priority Drainage Programme, with financial commitment amounting to ¢450 million over the last four years.

These interventions, namely, the construction, excavation, rechannelling and maintenance of storm drains, have reduced perennial devastating floods across the country in recent years.

The GARID Project, which aims to improve flood risk and solid waste management in Accra, Asenso Boakye, disclosed that the government will further commence a performance-based dredging activity of the Odaw Basin and its tributaries in June as part of continued efforts to address flooding challenges in Accra.

The Works and Housing Minister, however, observed that the investments made by government are being undermined by inappropriate behaviour of residents of some communities in Accra, particularly communities along the Odaw channel who are engaged in buildings in waterways, indiscriminate dumping of solid waste, which finds its way into drains.

He worried that implementing the GARID Project’s interventions and all other government flood mitigation measures will not succeed if people’s inappropriate behaviour and underlying attitudes did not change.

About the GARID Project

The Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project is a government of Ghana project to address flooding in the Odaw Basin of the Greater Accra Region and improve drainage, solid waste management and provision of services and infrastructure in priority flood-prone informal settlements within the basin.

The project is being implemented in 17 Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies in Accra by the Ministries of Works and Housing, Sanitation and Water Resources and Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development with support from the Project Coordinating Unit.

Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon Lydia Seyeram Alhassan has begun processes to curb perennial flooding which affects residents of Westlands and its environs.

The MP whose desire is to end the floods, deployed personnel from the hydrological services department to visit areas mostly affected by the downpour and also assess the drainage systems within such areas.

Head of drainage engineering Seth Kudzordzi who led a team of about 10 men to assess the situation observed that measures have been taken in the past to “desilt or dredge the drains but their efforts have not been successful”.

After a detailed assessment of the situation, he concluded that “the culvert is too small to carry the water discharged, therefore flooding the roads.

Mr. Kudzordzi explained that this new assessment will help to redesign a new culvert to bring an end to the flood, indicating that “once it’s replaced with a culver of adequate size, there won’t be any flooding again.”

The drainage construction according to Mr. Kudzordzi is expected to be completed within 2 months after the contract has been awarded.

The MP Madam Lydia Seyeram Alhassan charged personnel from the hydrological services department to treat the project as an emergency to help bring relief to residents.

Speaking to the media, she rejected claims that the timing of the construction of the drain was for votes in the December 7 polls.

“I have been MP for just two years, this is not the first project I am undertaking. I have constructed roads and other bridges so no one can say I am doing this for votes. They can’t say that”.

She further pointed out that “it is a natural disaster for which a solution must be found.

“It is a must-do project and that’s why I am doing it and not for electoral benefits.”