Ghana has been grappling with important flooding over time as a result of heavy rains and the overflow of main drains.
This recurrent difficulty has affected over 45,000 residents yearly, resulting in an estimated lack of $200 million. Regardless of varied efforts by successive governments to mitigate the issue, perennial flooding continues to persist, inflicting widespread devastation and financial losses.
In response to this persistent problem, the federal government established the Ghana Hydrological Authority (HYDRO) in 2022 by way of an Act of Parliament (ACT 1085).
HYDRO was tasked with specializing in flood management, coastal engineering, and different flood-related points. The creation of this authority marked a major step within the authorities’s dedication to eradicating flooding within the nation.
Nevertheless, since its inception, HYDRO has confronted extreme monetary constraints, hindering its operations. The authority requires roughly $6 billion for nationwide drainage infrastructure works to mitigate flooding, however to this point, just one.5 million Ghana cedis have been allotted to the fund.
This substantial shortfall in funding has led to notion of HYDRO as a “white elephant,” unable to successfully deal with the urgent difficulty of flooding.
The persistence of flooding, regardless of these efforts, underscores the necessity for extra strong and well-funded measures. Many communities stay weak, with floods contributing to a housing deficit of 1.8 million models throughout the nation.
The influence of local weather change is exacerbating the scenario, making it extra essential than ever to implement efficient flood mitigation methods.
Specialists emphasize the significance of improved city planning, higher waste administration, and enhanced group consciousness as essential parts of a broader flood mitigation technique. These measures have to be built-in right into a complete method to handle the flooding difficulty successfully.
The continual problem of flooding in Ghana is a stark reminder of the significance of sustained and coordinated efforts throughout all ranges of presidency and society.
It requires a concerted effort to safe ample funding, implement efficient insurance policies, and interact communities in proactive measures to mitigate the impacts of flooding.
Solely by way of such a holistic and well-funded method can Ghana hope to handle this urgent difficulty and defend its residents from the devastating results of perennial floods.