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CLIMATE CHANGE AND FLOODING IN GHANA
Climate change according to the United Nation framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC)
, is a change of climate which is attributed directly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere, and which in addition to natural climate variability, observed over a comparable time period''One of the effects of climate change is increased in precipitation which in most cases causes flooding.
On Friday, June 19, Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and other towns were hit by a severe downpour of rain. In Accra, the rainfall which lasted for over four hours has been described by the Meteorological Services Department as one of the highest in the country's history. Accra has an average rainfall of 22.8mm for 15 "raining days."
At Kaneshie, a commercial hot-spot in Ghana's capital, the activities of traders, commuters and pedestrians came to a halt. Drivers were compelled to pack their vehicles because they run the risk of falling into gullies and trenches that had developed. But this did not save them either, as many of such vehicles, except very heavy ones, were carried away by the running water.
Five days after this terrible incidence, the death toll was reported by the National Times newspaper as totaling 45. It is very sad to lose lives and properties through disasters like this.
This year's flooding situation has not been the highest to hit only Ghana but other countries alike all over the world have bitten part of this bitter cake.
In China, Nearly 3900 people have been killed or left missing in flood-related incidents .About 1750 people were also affected by devastating mudslides after long hours of rainfall on August 7 and 8.
According to Aljazeera, the recent flooding in Pakistan is the worst to hit the country in 80years. The country's worst ever humanitarian disaster has ravaged an area roughly the size of England and affecting about 20 million people.
"We had goats and buffalo and a wooden hut. We had grain to eat. The river ate everything, leaving the whole family hungry and empty-handed". This was narrated by a 50 year old victim.
Should we sit down and watch without taking any cue from this? Certainly no. we have to take lessons from the Twi adage which literally says that when you see a friends beard burning you have to place water besides yours.
This therefore brings into mind a very important question; what is our adaptation level so far as these natural disasters are concerned?
For me this demands a collective responsibility to develop adaptative strategies. The government should prioritize in the construction of flood walls and well drainage systems to allow free drainage of water during heavy downpours.
Human settlement should be removed from flood plains and other low-lying areas. Decongestion exercises should be embarked on to remove structures built on drainage systems which I think the AMA has spearheaded. It is however advisable that the debris is always collected after such exercises.
Again Individuals at the community levels should have a sense of belonging by embarking on clean up exercises to distill the few existing gutters.
We should not expect the government to do everything for us including distilling of our chocked gutters. The time to act is now
KASSIM GAWUSU
Greener Impact International
(NGO into climate change education, mitigation and adaptation)
+233244967340
CLIMATE CHANGE AND FLOODING IN GHANA
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