The Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Hon Andy Appiah-Kubi has called on Government to take steps to mitigate Waste management problems of the country as part of measures to fight climate change.

According to him, the current waste management system was not the best and there was an agent steps to deal with the situation to avert any foreseeable challenges.

Hon Appiah-Kubi made the calling statement delivered in parliament on Tuesday, July  18, 2023.

Below is the full Statement

STATEMENT DELIVERED BY THE HON. ANDY KWAME APPIAH-KUBI, MP FOR ASANTE AKIM NORTH ON THE STATE OF GHANA’S DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE (05/07/2023)

INTRODUCTION

1. Speaker, I wish to respectfully present this statement on the state of Ghana’s drainage infrastructure, towards improving the resilience of the country to flood risk which is increasingly being exacerbated by climate change. I wish to highlight that key to our resilience is the need to increase investment in critical drainage infrastructure across the country.

BACKGROUND

2. Speaker, rapid urbanization and its resultant effects have outpaced the efficient and proactive provision of basic urban infrastructure. This has resulted in situations where settlements have outstripped the capacity of Government and local authorities to plan and adequately provide such critical infrastructure as drainage which provides a means of removing excess face water.
3. Flooding has become one of the most threatening disasters of all times confronting cities globally, and Ghana is not an exception. Ghana ranks high among African countries most exposed to risks from multiple weather-related hazards. In the past three (3) decades, the country has experienced seven major floods; most prominently were the ones of 1991, 1995, 2007, 2008 and more recently those of 2010 and 2015. Regular flooding across the country has led to regrettable loss of lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and properties, as well as the spread of communicable diseases, including cholera and diphtheria. A couple of months ago, on the 9th November 2022, two people lost their lives after the taxi they were travelling in submerged during a rainstorm in Madina, Accra. My sincere condolences to their families.

STATE OF DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE IN GHANA

4. Speaker, a critical view of the drainage system across the country has revealed a dire situation needing urgent attention. The country’s drainage network is characterized by:
5. Inadequate engineered drainage infrastructure
6. Inadequate drainage capacity which includes undersized culverts and drainage channels
7. Uncontrolled settlement development that has increased construction in waterways and flood plains which culminates in obstruction to storm water flow.
8. Inadequate flood plains, detention ponds and wetlands to absorb excess water.
9. Solid waste disposal into drains by households which blocks drains, reduce drainage capacity and causes storm water overflow.
10. Speaker, while acknowledging that successive governments have made investments in drainage infrastructure, regrettably, in the light of the challenges we face those investments pale into insignificance.
11. For example, the current government has indicated that 450 million Ghana Cedis has been invested in drainage infrastructure. However, it is on record that the investment required to build the country’s resilience to a reasonable level is $5 Billion.

IMPACT OF FLOODING

7. Speaker, all evidence point to the fact that perennial flooding across the country poses a significant threat to government’s accelerated socioeconomic development agenda. Lives have been lost, properties destroyed, transport links disconnected, economic activities disrupted, and livelihoods destroyed because of flooding.

mpact on Lives, Livelihoods and Properties

8. Speaker, you will recall that Ghana recorded unprecedented flash flood events on the 3^rd June, 2015 in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta and Western Regions. These went on record as one of the most extreme flood incidents to have ever been recorded in the recent history of the country. Available information indicates that in the Odaw Drainage catchment area alone, 152 lives were lost, while 53,000 people were affected due to the flooding and resulting fire. It is further estimated that a total of 77,000 buildings were fully or partially destroyed. And this was only an event with the likelihood of occurrence once in every 10 years (1:10).

Economic Impact of Flooding 

9. Speaker, while evidence points to the huge economic losses through damages and disruption to economic activities during flood events, governments spending in the form of reliefs have also evolved as huge capital outlays. The World Bank estimated the economic impact of 3^rd June, 2015 event at US$114 million. Furthermore, the World Bank has estimated that US$3.2 billion (4.45% of GDP) worth of economic assets are at risk of flooding in the Greater Accra Region alone and this figure will only increase with time.
10. It is worth emphasizing that investments in drainage and flood control systems do not generate direct returns. The benefits, rather, are in the losses and damages avoided. The cost to the economy of a significant event could be huge. A single significant flooding event can erode all the gains made in other sectors (e.g. road, railway, agriculture, industry, energy). Beyond the economy, the unquantifiable effects such as loss of lives along with the social and psychological impacts makes it imperative for the country to act decisively.

Impact On Infrastructure

11. Speaker, more importantly, flooding has adverse implications for the longevity of roads and other infrastructure such as telecommunication, bridges, railway and power stations. Available information shows that several countries have lost significant investments in critical infrastructure through a single flooding event. The country stands at risk of losing significant investments made in other sectors of the economy such as roads and bridges if our drainage infrastructure remains in the current state.

EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

15. Speaker, recently, the predicted climate change effect on flooding is materializing as has been seen in some advanced countries despite well managed drainage systems. For instance, China experienced flooding that was estimated at once in a thousand-year event (1:1000). Over a three-day period, 617.1mm of rainfall was experienced and this compared with the annual average of 640.8mm of rainfall that implies within three days, the country experienced an amount of rainfall that the country should expect in a year, with dire consequences. A total of 592 lives were lost in Henan and Zhengzhou Province alone with the economic losses estimated at US$18 billion and approximately 580,000 hectares of farmland destroyed in the process.
16. Other countries in Europe, such as Belgium and Germany experienced flooding events of similar magnitude, affirming the adverse implications of climate change on flooding. In Nigeria, Lagos, one of Africa’s most populous cities was hit by torrential downpour and thunderstorms on the eve of July 6, 2021 and this left more than 100,000 people homeless with many parts of the city flooded. These developments are thus, a wake-up call on the need to put in place systems of protection against any such hazards.
17. Although climate change projections in Ghana suggest the total annual rainfall is on a downward trend, there is evidence of increasing volatility (intensity, duration and frequency), leading to more extreme storms and increased flood risk, (UNDP, 2016).
18. Speaker, the question is, are we ready?
19. The threat of climate change induced flooding is real. We have in recent times seen widespread flooding in locations which were never known to be flood prone. A typical example was the flooding experienced in several areas of Koforidua and Kumasi on 24 and 25 June 2021.
20. Due to climate change effect, the estimated amount of US$5 billion required for fixing our drainage network is expected to increase with each year of under-investment and inaction. Additionally, the value of assets at risk in Greater Accra Region alone estimated at US$3.2 billion could quadruple to US$12.8 billion by 2050 if steps are not taken now to improve resilience (World Bank). By extension, the total value of assets at risk across the country could run into tens of billions of dollars.

WAY FORWARD

18. Speaker, from the foregoing, it is important that urgent steps are taken to enhance our resilience. There is the need to heighten the potential of our nature-based solutions to augment the engineering solutions to our flood risk. Accordingly, it is imperative that MMDAs strictly enforce the planning laws and Building Code to prevent development in waterways, floodplains, and wetlands.
19. Effective solid waste management efforts coupled with enhanced education of citizens to complement the effort of government, stressing the need to take their own safety seriously and be more mindful in the manner they dispose of solid waste to maintain drainage capacity and reduce the likelihood of storm water overflow and flooding is critical.
20. Additionally, it is important to ensure that flood risk assessments are conducted, and drainage strategies developed for new infrastructure while promoting the uptake of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) across the country.
21. Furthermore, we need to increase investments in drainage and flood management systems towards enhancing the flood resilience of the country. Being conscious of the current state of the economy, we need to explore all avenues for mobilizing resources to invest in our drainage infrastructure to enhance our resilience. I wish to call on all to support the Ministry of Works and Housing and the newly established Ghana Hydro-logical Authority in their effort to explore alternative sources of funding to facilitate drainage infrastructure development.

CONCLUSION

22. Speaker, in conclusion, drainage and flood management infrastructure projects, although capital intensive, play an important role in ensuring the resilience and sustainability of all other infrastructural developments. While there is an increasing threat of climate change induced flooding with strong evidence across the globe and in the country, there is currently limited corresponding action and investment to ensure the country is prepared to withstand this imminent threat. Permit me to add that although investments in flooding do not yield direct returns, the damages and economic losses they prevent are significant and will be worth every investment we can mobilize.
23. I thank you for this opportunity, Speaker