Presenters: Dr. Dacosta Aboagye, Dept. of Geography & Rural Devt., KNUST

1. Disasters and The Achievement of Disasters and the MDGs: Assessment of Flood Mitigation Strategies in Ghana Presenters: Dr. Dacosta Aboagye, Dept. of Geography & Rural Devt., KNUST Elvis Attakora-Amaniampong, Dept of Real Estate & Land Mgmt , UDS, Wa

2. Outline • Introduction • Objectives • Methodology • Results & Discussion • Conclusion • Recommendation

3. Introduction • Natural disasters are one of the most significant issues affecting sustainable development in many developing countries. • Analysis of the 2011 Global Report confirms that despite the progress made so far in achieving the MDGs, there are disparities among geographical areas and socio-economic groups.

4. Flooding News SOURCE: The Daily Graphic

5. Flooding News Cont • Illegal mining blamed for floods in Ghana cocoa region Floods kill 5, displace 100,000 (Source: Reuters, 25 Jul 2011 17:42) • Rainstorm renders more than 1000 people homeless in Sekondi-Takoradi Tuesday, June 14, 2011, Takoradi, June 14, GNA • Flooding of Volta Lake destroys water project in Yeji Friday, June 10, 2011Yeji B/A, GNA

6. Flooding News cont. • Rainstorm destroys 123 schools; 3,639 homes in UER Thursday, June 02, 2011,Bolgataga, GNA • Floods Hit Accra Saturday, April 30, 2011, GNA: Residents of some areas in Accra have been forced out of their homes by floods after Thursday evenings torrential rainfall… • Northern Floods Claim 17 Lives Source: Vincent Amenuveve - Daily Graphic, Mon, 13 Sep 2010 • Flood disasters hampering MDG achievement Source: Ghanaian Chronicle - Wed, 30 Jun 2010 by Helena Selby

9. Ghana`s Progress towards MDGS 1 Source: Adopted from 2008 Ghana MDGS Report (2010)

10. Ghana`s Progress towards MDGS 7 Source: Adopted from 2008 Ghana MDGS Report (2010)

11. Questions • Is Ghana experiencing rising vulnerability to environmental hazards? • If so, is it because mitigation approaches are not successfully addressing the root causes and socio- economic conditions underlying hazard risk faced by Ghanaians? • What are the best means of mitigating hazards and disasters in Ghana? • How do we ensure that disasters do not erode the gains made in the MDGs.

12. Objectives • Analyze flood mitigation strategies in Ghana using the Pressure-and-Release model. • Investigate whether losses from disasters are increasing because mitigation measures are not successfully addressing hazard risk faced by many communities and households. • Assess the geographical and socio-economic disparities in vulnerability to environmental hazards.

13. Methodology • We investigated the characteristics of households and communities that have frequently recorded higher losses from floods than averages to better understand and document human vulnerability. • Two communities (Awoshie & Alajo) were identified as “hot spots” and highly vulnerable to flooding and were selected for case study.

14. Methodology cont. • Sampling Technique: • Systematic random sampling • Data Sources: • Secondary: Books, Journals, Gov’t documents • Primary: Questionnaire, Interview & FGB • Data Analysis: • Quantitative • Qualitative • Main Analytical Tool: • Pressure-and-Release model

15. ROOTS CAUSES DYNAMIC PRESURES UNSAFE CONDITIONS HAZARDS • Lack of : • Appropriate Skills • Education & Training • Press Freedom • Local Markets • Local Investments • Macro Forces: • Rapid Population Growth • Rapid Urbanization • Decline in Resources • Deforestation • Fragile Physical Environment: • Dangerous Location • Unprotected Building • Fragile Local Economy: • Livelihood at Risk • Low Income Levels • Vulnerable Society: • Special Group at Risk • Lack of Local Institutions • Public Action: • Lack of Disaster Preparedness • Poor Health • Limited Access to: • Power • Resources • Ideologies: • Political system • Economic system FLOODING DISASTER PRESURE AND RELEASE MODEL Source: Adapted from Blakie et al (1994)

16. Root Causes • Colonial & Post Independence Policies: Residential Segregation • System of Land Administration • Political System: Military Rule Vs Multi-party Democracy • Political Party Affiliation • Ethnic Origin & Language

17. Root Causes: Ethnicity & Language • 65 Dialects (4 Languages • Official Language: English • 49.9 % adults are Illiterate • 4 Major Ethnic Divisions (Akan, Mole-Dagomba, Ewe, & Ga-Dangme) • Source: Ghana Statistical Service,2000 Census Source: www.ethnologue.com

18. Root Causes: Differential Access to Infrastructure

19. Dynamic Pressure Lack of • Appropriate Skills • Education & Training • Local Investments Macro Forces • Rapid Population Growth • Rapid Urbanization • Decline in Resources • Deforestation

20. Dynamic Pressures: From Village to Metro. Area • 1830: Fishing Village • 1877: Capital of Ghana Area: 10 km2 • 2000: Area : 200 km2 SOURCE :Grant and Yankson, 2003 SOURCE: Base map adapted from Kufogbe, S. (1996)

21. Dynamic Pressures: Population Growth • Growth rate National: 2.4 % Accra: 4.2 % Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2000 Population Census

22. Unsafe Conditions Fragile Physical Environment • Dangerous Location • Unprotected Buildings & Infrastructure Fragile Local Economy • Livelihoods at Risk • Low Income Levels Vulnerable Society • Special Groups at Risk • Lack of Local Institutions Public Action • Lack of Disaster Preparedness • Poor Health

23. Unsafe Conditions: Dangerous Location

24. Unsafe Conditions • 1,926 Unsafe buildings • 197 Kiosks • 1433 buildings without permit Source: GAMA Anti Flood Committee, 2003

25. Unsafe Conditions: Livelihood at Risk Source: Authors (2010)

26. Conclusion • There are differences in household’s ability to foresee, adjust to, and recover from flooding. • Failure to specifically address these differential vulnerabilities has also contributed to the severity of disasters in the study areas. • This has increased poverty and destruction of the environment within the study areas.

27. Conclusion Cont. • Structural measures: engineering interventions such as river channel modifications, embankments, reservoirs and barrages designed to control the flow of rivers and abate or control the spread of flooding. • Nonstructural measures: measures designed not to prevent floods but to reduce the impacts of the hazard. E.g. formal flood warning systems, evacuation programs, land use controls on flood-prone sites, building regulations to prevent incursion of floodwaters, and insurance schemes.

28. Recommendation • Our recommendation to policy makers is to implement activities in advance to reduce damage from future flooding and to address socio-economic processes that create human vulnerability to hazards. • In this sense we suggest that government measures should go beyond building drainage and providing recovery assistance to paying attention to the context of vulnerability and how it evolves in the Ghanaian society.

29. Thank You