Tackling Floods in Ghana Requires Protecting Green Spaces, Integrated Spatial Planning

Kumasi: A Senior Research Scientist has suggested that Ghana could make progress in preventing and managing floods by combining both engineering infrastructure and nature-based solutions. Dr. Shalom D. Addo-Danso of the Forestry Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-FORIG) said preserving green spaces and planting suitable tree species in urban areas could help reduce flooding.According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Addo-Danso emphasized that integrated spatial planning, which incorporates urban greening and tree planting into the planning of major cities such as Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi, must be taken seriously. He called for enforcement of environmental sanitation by-laws and regulations that protect wetlands and riparian areas.Dr. Addo-Danso advocated for behavioral change through awareness creation and education, especially by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), to promote clean environments and reduce flood situations in Ghana. He urged policym akers to maintain and increase blue and green spaces in cities, as they offer cheaper options to manage disaster risks such as floods.These nature-based solutions are environmentally friendly and have numerous social, ecological, and economic benefits. For example, wetlands and trees can help reduce flood risk, cool the weather, enhance plant and animal diversity, and improve water quality. Tree species like mango, coconut, pear, neem, weeping willow, brimstone, Milletia spp, and flame provide food, fruits, and medicinal parts.Dr. Addo-Danso highlighted that low-lying areas in rural and urban cities in Ghana are high flood-risk spots during the rainy season. According to the 2020 World Bank Country Environmental Analysis Report, floods have affected nearly four million people in Ghana over the last 40 years, causing damage to property and loss of lives.The World Bank estimates that the average cost of inland flooding alone is US$115 million annually, equivalent to 0.2 percent of Ghana's 2017 Gross Domes tic Product (GDP). Dr. Addo-Danso pointed out that flooding is mostly caused by human activities such as rapid urbanization, which leads to the conversion of wetlands into construction and settlements, reducing the infiltration capacity of natural drainage systems.Poor solid waste management, including indiscriminate disposal of garbage and polythene bags, clogs drainage channels and reduces their discharge capacities. These are concerning developments that should be addressed by optimizing the restoration of natural or human-modified ecosystems like wetlands or floodplains to manage runoff and floodwater.