By Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Dramani Mahama has convened a National Security Council meeting to review the recent floods that affected parts of southern Ghana and outline stronger measures to reduce the impact of future flooding.
The President says while climate change has intensified rainfall patterns, rapid urbanisation and encroachment on waterways have also contributed significantly to the flooding.
The National Security Council meeting brought together key security agencies and institutions responsible for disaster management to assess the response to the recent floods and review measures to improve preparedness.
President Mahama said although flooding has become a recurring challenge, the latest incident was more severe than previous occurrences due to increasingly heavy rainfall linked to climate change.
“Increasingly, we are witnessing heavier rainfall patterns every year, and this requires us to review and strengthen the mitigation measures we put in place to address the situation.”
The President said government has directed the Ghana Armed Forces to support ongoing flood mitigation efforts, while the National Disaster Management Organisation and other agencies continue to provide relief to affected communities.
He noted that although a Flood Mitigation Task Force had undertaken dredging works before the rains, the intensity of the downpour exceeded the capacity of existing interventions.
“The Minister of Finance has released funds from the contingency fund to support the mitigation measures that will be undertaken going forward.”
President Mahama said government is reviewing additional interventions to reduce the impact of future floods, stressing that while flooding cannot be completely prevented, its effects can be minimised through coordinated planning and sustained mitigation efforts.
