Ghana projects to lose over $160m annually to flooding – Chief Director, MESTI

The country is projected to lose in excess of $160 million annually due to flooding, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr Patrick Nomo, has said.

According to him, the issue of flooding was getting to alarming proportions in the country as a results of rising temperatures and something must be done about it.

“The country’s temperatures have risen by approximately 1 degree Celsius since the 1960s, and are projected to increase to between 1 degree Celsius and 3 degree Celsius by mid-century, and between 2.3 degree Celsius and 5.3 degree Celsius by the end of the century,” he said.

Dr Nomo was speaking at the West Africa Coastal Resilience Investment Project (WACA ResIP) 2nd annual Regional Steering Committee Meeting in Accra yesterday.

West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme was developed in partnership with the West African people who live on the coast and depend on it for their livelihoods, nutrition, food security, and prosperity to support their effort to improve the management of their shared coastal resources, and reduce the natural and man-made risks affecting coastal communities.

The second phase of WACA projects is made up of six countries: Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Benin, Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinee-Bisseau and Sao-Tome-et- Principe.

In Ghana, for instance he said various reports indicated that the rate of coastal erosion ranges between 2 and 5 metres per annum, with some locations experiencing up to 17 metres of erosion each year, this severe degradation was further compounded by frequent flooding due to high storm tides which directly result from rising sea levels induced by climate change.

Dr Nomo stated that the West African coast was facing significant environmental challenges with the most pressing issues being the alarming erosion rate.

He noted that these coastal disasters threatened the fiscal landscape and destabilise the coastal communities, including its socio-economic fabric affecting the average of 500,000 people in Africa every year.

Similarly, the Chief Director revealed that heavy rainfall events were also expected to increase, likely resulting in flooding, flash floods and riverbank erosion, and making the country vulnerable to increasing aridity, droughts, extreme rainfall and flooding.

“Being a region with economies historically driven by high reliance on natural resources, managing the coastal zones and natural environment is crucial for sustainable development and climate resilience.

Thus, the timely support from WACA to restore our coastal areas is invaluable and worthy of commendation,” Dr Nomo said.

“We are also highly exposed to natural weather-related hazards, including storm surges, coastal erosion, landslides, earthquakes, pest infestation and wildfires,” he added.

The Commissioner of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), Mr Mohamadu Gado, said the core objective of WACA was to address coastal erosion, flooding, pollution and ecosystem vulnerability nationally and regionally.

The programme, he noted integrated the activities of countries and regional institutions to achieve transformational and sustainable change in coastal zone management using a multifaceted approach designed to strengthen the resilience of targeted communities and areas in coastal West Africa.

BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA