They claim that water is life. We are all uncomfortable without it, but an overflow of water over ordinarily dry terrain, known as a flood, has killed and wrecked countless. Flood has been a major danger to the resilience of the national capitals, according to the Accra Resilience Strategy papers. Floods claimed the lives of 83 people between 2000 and 2012, according to a paper produced by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. More than 170,000 people were displaced, with 43.7 million dollars in losses. In Accra, the mother of all floods struck in 2015. In 2015, Accra was hit by two disasters: floods and fires. The twin disasters of fire and flooding at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle killed 150 lives and displaced nearly 52000 people in a single day. A terrible death of a toddler and a middle-aged lady, as well as two others, has been reported in a location not renowned for floods. After days of rain, the Ashanti region’s natural and man-made water drainage systems became clogged, with solid waste being identified as the primary source of flooding. The Densu Delta is a natural water drainage system that has been identified as a globally significant wetland and a haven for migrating birds. This region, which was supposed to contain upstream and rains, is now a waste of time for private and real estate developers.
According to Michael Odartey Wellington, the Managing Director of PAMBROS, there was no uptick in the occurrence of flooding approximately 20 years ago. If PAMBROS were to flood, it would require an unusual amount of rainfall. This is because we had wetlands, which were able to absorb rainwater and then gently discharge it into the Densu River. We’ve seen some aggressive filling up of the wetlands in recent years, and as a result, now when it rains, it just takes a few hours for vulnerable regions to be inundated. PAMBROS’ salt mining activities have helped to conserve the wetland throughout the years. Currently, 17 acres of the marsh have been encroached upon, with the most recent being a Chinese company’s development of a cement plant.
Source: Citi Newsroom
This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Ghana Institute of Planners.
