The Member of Parliament for the Sissala West Constituency in the Upper West Region, Mohammed Adams Sukparu, wants government to equip the Ghana Meteorological Agency with sophisticated equipment to enable it provide accurate and timely weather forecasts to Ghanaians, especially during the rainy season.

Mr. Sukparu made the call when he made a statement on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

His call comes on the back of recent floods recorded in Accra and Kumasi which led to the loss of seven lives and the destruction of several properties.

According to the legislator, a well-equipped Meteorological Agency will help provide timely information to reduce mortalities recorded during floods.

“Mr. Speaker, I suggest we ensure our Meteorological Agency is well-equipped with sophisticated equipment in order to greatly improve its weather forecast, which will reduce possible mortalities and economic losses.”

He also appealed to the Ministry of Works and Housing to put in place adequate measures to prevent flooding in the country.

“I am appealing to the Ministry of Housing to put extreme measures in place for the effective execution of duties by the town and country planning unit. Owners of buildings illegally constructed in water access ways must be brought to book. I further implore the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ensure standard layout of drainage works on all awarded road projects. Possibly, drainage systems should be re-constructed at areas with poor systems,” he added.

Below is the full statement the Sissala West MP made in Parliament:

STATEMENT ON THE STATE OF FLOODING IN URBAN GHANA BY HONOURABLE MOHAMMED ADAMS SUKPARU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SISSALA WEST

Mr. Speaker, I am highly indebted to you for the august opportunity to make a statement on the devastating state of perennial flooding in Ghana.

Mr. Speaker, my statement is necessitated by the disturbing trend of calamities caused during raining seasons. A season that should be joyous is rather characterized by loss of lives and properties due to several factors that can be controlled. Many are displaced as we experience rains. Flooding was ranked the second-highest natural disaster after epidemics in Ghana in 2009 by O.Cred on the International Disaster Database. Floods lead to gross economic loss and pressure on the national purse. A 1900 to 2014 study by S. Asumadu-Sarkodie et al. on flood risk management in Ghana reveals an approximate US$ 780,500,000 economic loss to the country.

Mr. Speaker, flood is a non-negotiable major deathtrap with impacts such as disruption of energy supply, communication, accommodation and transport amenities, and possible interference in public service duties. Flooding has been witnessed in the urban parts of the country, partly due to migration and improper planning. Ghana has experienced frequent urban flooding since 1930 per empirical research on the situational analysis conducted by N. K. Karley in 2009. Unfortunately, research conducted has proven that at least 18 out of the 50 years records significant flooding occurrence where lives and properties are lost. A research work conducted in 2008 by I. Douglas et al. shows that flooding has been on the rise in the coastal areas of Ghana since 1995.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we cannot be oblivious of the causes of flooding in Ghana. Studies by Y. A. Twumasi et al. in 2002 further revealed that flooding occurs as a result of intense and continuous rainfall, the growing unpredictability in rainfall patterns, impact of climate change, ignored flaws in the drainage network and poor physical planning and infrastructure development.  The gradual warming of the ozone is changing our rainfall patterns. H. Paeth et al. in 2005 identified changes in topography, vegetation cover and water bodies as factors influencing the ozone layer, notwithstanding the emission of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Also, there are increasing physical structures on water access ways coupled with a lack of drainage systems on our roads. It is not surprising to see houses built at the centre of waterways. There is absolute lack of enforcement of territorial layout plans.

Mr. Speaker, on the 3rd of June 2015, Ghana recorded one of the memorable but disturbing flooding incident in its history. We all saw how most of southern suburbs of Ghana experienced heavy thunderstorms and rains.  Ghana Meteorological Agency’s report showed that about 212.8 mm of rainfall was heavily centred in Accra, which resulted in flooding most of the city. Adding to the pain was the explosion of a fuel filling station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which claimed over 150 lives, coupled with the destruction of properties with hundreds of dwellers displaced. I recall how it took me over 8 hours to cover a distance of 10 kilometres to arrive home. More recently, from 18th to 28th of June 2018, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) revealed that floods damaged properties estimated at $168,289, 34076, displaced families and killed 14 people.

Mr. Speaker, I am not a prophet of doom, but I want us to be reminded that we are in the month of June that is characterized by unexpected rainfall calamities. Thus, we must take urgent steps in anticipation of unexpected heavy downpours. My worries keep increasing anytime I see the weather cloudy because I would not want to see history repeat itself.

Mr. Speaker, I suggest we ensure our Meteorological Agency is well-equipped with sophisticated equipment in order to greatly improve its weather forecast, which will reduce possible mortalities and economic losses.

I am appealing to the Ministry of Housing to put extreme measures in place for the effective execution of duties by the town and country planning unit. Owners of buildings illegally constructed in water access ways must be brought to book. I further implore the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ensure standard layout of drainage works on all awarded road projects. Possibly, drainage systems should be re-constructed in areas with poor systems.

I also extend this appeal to colleague members, religious bodies, public and private institutions to come on board to augment the efforts to reduce the occurrence of flooding in the country.

Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Speaker