Dr. Norris Ok. Hammer
Yearly throughout the wet season, Accra residents brace for the acquainted and painful actuality of flooded properties, destroyed companies, site visitors jams, disrupted livelihoods and, tragically, lack of life. Regardless of many years of desilting drainage channels, dredging waterways, demolishing buildings on waterways and investing in storm drains, flooding stays one of many capital’s most persistent challenges.
The continued recurrence of floods suggests {that a} elementary shift is required in Ghana’s strategy to flood administration. Fairly than relying totally on demolition workout routines and drainage channel expansions, Ghana ought to critically take into account implementing built-in engineering options just like Malaysia’s internationally acclaimed good tunnels. The Sensible Tunnel is a venture that has reworked Kuala Lumpur’s flood administration whereas addressing city site visitors congestion.
Accra flood injury
Floods have grow to be one of the vital harmful and lethal city issues going through Ghana. Areas corresponding to Alajo, Odauna, Kaneshie, Circle, Adabraka, Malam, Ouija, Dansoman and elements of Jap Legon often expertise extreme flooding throughout heavy rains.
The June 3, 2015 catastrophe stays one of many darkest moments in Ghana’s historical past. Torrential rains brought about huge flooding across the Kwame Nkrumah Circle space, and an explosion at a gasoline station killed greater than 150 folks and injured tons of. This tragedy revealed the devastating penalties of insufficient city flood administration.
Practically a decade later, many of those identical communities stay extremely susceptible.
Successive governments have invested vital assets in dredging drainage channels, eradicating sediment from waterways, and demolishing buildings that hinder waterways. Whereas these measures are vital, they don’t present a everlasting answer.
Why demolition alone can not remedy Accra’s flooding downside
There is no such thing as a denying that unauthorized development on waterways causes flooding. Buildings constructed inside floodplains cut back pure water-holding capability and hinder drainage channels.
However attributing Accra’s flooding solely to buildings on waterways oversimplifies a a lot bigger problem.
A number of interrelated elements are answerable for flooding within the capital.
- Fast urbanization with out corresponding infrastructure growth.
- Insufficient stormwater administration methods.
- Intensive concreting and paving of the floor reduces groundwater infiltration.
- Improper waste disposal practices that clog drains.
- Encroachment on wetlands and nature reserves.
- Local weather change is inflicting more and more intense rainfall occasions.
- Restricted water storage and detention services.
Even when all unauthorized buildings on waterways have been eliminated at this time, Accra would nonetheless expertise main flooding as the town’s drainage infrastructure isn’t designed to deal with present runoff volumes and rainfall intensities.
Subsequently, the problem is not only about eradicating obstacles. We’d like fashionable infrastructure that may handle huge quantities of rainwater.
Kuala Lumpur’s journey from flood disaster to flood resilience
Earlier than the development of the SMART tunnel, Kuala Lumpur confronted flooding challenges similar to these confronted by Accra at this time.
All through the Nineteen Seventies, Eighties and Nineties, Malaysia’s capital was usually hit by flash floods. Main business areas and transportation routes have been repeatedly flooded, inflicting vital financial losses and disrupting every day life.
The fast progress of the town considerably elevated impermeable surfaces, and the Klang and Ampang rivers often flooded during times of heavy rain. Conventional drainage enhancements alone proved inadequate to handle the dimensions of the issue.
Recognizing the necessity for extra modern and built-in options, the Malaysian authorities launched the Stormwater Administration and Street Tunnel Challenge, generally often called the SMART Tunnel.
When accomplished in 2007, the SMART tunnel grew to become the world’s first dual-purpose tunnel designed to serve each flood mitigation and transportation features.
What’s a SMART tunnel?
The SMART tunnel stretches roughly 9.7 kilometers and performs two necessary features:
- A freeway tunnel eases site visitors congestion in Kuala Lumpur.
- Flood diversion tunnels to divert extra rainwater away from flood-prone city areas.
Beneath regular circumstances, motorists use this tunnel daily.
Throughout average rainfall, floodwaters move by way of a devoted decrease channel whereas site visitors continues uninterrupted.
Throughout extreme storms, the tunnel is briefly closed to vehicular site visitors and utterly transformed right into a flood diversion channel able to transferring giant quantities of water from the town middle.
Since its inception, the SMART tunnel has prevented quite a few main flooding incidents and guarded billions of {dollars} value of financial exercise.
Comparability of Kuala Lumpur and Accra
Though Kuala Lumpur and Accra are geographically and economically distinct, they share some necessary traits.
similarities
fast progress of cities
Each cities have skilled vital inhabitants progress and concrete growth that has outpaced infrastructure growth.
seasonal heavy rain
Each cities obtain heavy rainfall that may overwhelm their drainage methods.
Lack of pure water reserves
City growth has lowered wetlands, floodplains, and different pure flood management methods.
Significance of nationwide financial system
Every metropolis serves because the nation’s main business and administrative middle.
distinction
infrastructure funding
Malaysia has persistently invested in long-term city flood administration infrastructure for many years.
drainage expertise
Kuala Lumpur’s drainage system is extra technologically superior and built-in.
Implementation of the plan
Malaysia has usually achieved stronger city planning laws and flood zoning.
Regardless of these variations, the elemental problem of managing giant volumes of stormwater inside densely populated city environments stays the identical.
Why Ghana ought to take into account SMART tunnels
Accra’s topography naturally directs rainwater in direction of low-lying areas after which into the Gulf of Guinea. When heavy rains happen, large quantities of runoff transfer by way of the Oddo River basin and surrounding watersheds.
Ghana’s SMART tunnel has a number of advantages.
bypass extreme flooding
Massive underground diversion tunnels can seize rainwater upstream and transport it safely to designated water launch factors.
Cut back flooding in susceptible areas
Flood danger could possibly be considerably lowered in areas corresponding to Circle, Arajo, Kaneshie, Odauna and Adabraka.
Bettering city mobility
Just like the tunnel in Malaysia, this tunnel might additionally function a transport hall and alleviate continual congestion inside Accra.
shield financial exercise
Decreasing flood injury would cut back financial losses, enhance enterprise continuity, and strengthen investor confidence.
Constructing resilience to local weather change
As local weather change intensifies rainfall patterns throughout West Africa, Ghana wants infrastructure designed to face up to future circumstances, not previous climate patterns.
Suggestions for Ghana
1. Commissioning a complete feasibility research
The federal government should conduct an in depth engineering, environmental and financial evaluation of the feasibility of a SMART tunnel system in Accra.
2. Formulation of built-in flood administration grasp plan
Flood mitigation requires a mix of:
- Trendy drainage extension.
- Reservoirs and detention ponds.
- Wetland restoration.
- Bettering river channels.
- Underground flood diversion infrastructure.
3. Strengthening city planning enforcement
Stopping future intrusions into waterways should stay a nationwide precedence.
4. Wetland restoration and safety
Wetlands act as pure flood management methods and needs to be preserved and expanded.
5. Improved waste administration
Clogged drains proceed to exacerbate flooding and require sustained enforcement and public schooling.
6. Selling public-private collaboration
Massive-scale infrastructure tasks may be financed by way of modern partnerships involving governments, growth finance establishments, pension funds and personal traders.
7. Set up a Nationwide Flood Infrastructure Fund
A devoted funding mechanism ensures continuity of funding throughout political cycles.
conclusion
Accra’s annual flooding exhibits that conventional approaches are not adequate. Demolishing waterway buildings is necessary, however it is just one facet of a fancy city problem.
Malaysia confronted an analogous predicament and responded with innovation, engineering excellence and long-term strategic planning. The SMART tunnel reworked Kuala Lumpur’s flood resilience and was acknowledged globally as a mannequin for built-in city infrastructure.
Ghana now has a possibility to assume boldly. Fairly than regularly responding to floods as soon as they happen, the nation ought to put money into modern options that may save lives, shield property, stimulate financial progress and put together Accra for the realities of a altering local weather.
The query is not whether or not Accra wants a brand new strategy to flooding.
The query is whether or not Ghana is able to embrace innovation on the dimensions required to safe its future.
