Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies to Perennial Urban Flooding: A Case Study of Flood-Prone Communities in La Dade-Kotopon Municipality

Flooding has been a major problem over the years for cities of most developing countries across the world. In Ghana, the major cities especially Accra are noted for the prevalent occurrence of flood and its related menace. Like other districts in Accra, La Dade-Kotopon Municipality has not been spared by the phenomenon in recent times. Year by year, the municipality is hit by various degrees of floods resulting in loss of lives and destruction of hard-earned properties. Though the phenomenon is witnessed by the entire municipality, it is most prevalent in some identified communities within the municipality. This study therefore sought to look at the adaptation and mitigation measures adopted by various stakeholders to address the flood disaster phenomenon in the flood-prone communities within the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality. To analyze the problem, five flood-prone communities were randomly selected for the study and out of this a total of 191 households were sampled to participate in the study. Primarily, the mixed methods research approach was adopted; and on that basis quantitative data was gathered through face to face household survey using structured questionnaires which was supported by qualitative data gathered through key informant interviews of key officials of the municipalities; in-depth interviews of the Assemblymen and some community members from the study communities and through direct field observations. Findings of the study show that, flood events in the study communities are primarily caused by some anthropogenic factors such as lack of drains; building on waterways; defective drainage design; choked drains; congested settlements; poor solid waste disposal practices among others even though they can also be attributed to some natural factors such as impervious nature of soil, low lying nature of the land and heavy downpour. It was also found that floods have posed several negative effects on the households in the study communities including loss of lives; physical injury to people; destruction of buildings and valuable properties; destruction of households’ livelihood activities; pollution of the environment; erosion; disruption in the provision of utility services among others. The findings of the study also show that households employ several adaptation measures before, during and after floods to enhance their adaptive capacities. These include using sand bag to block water; digging flood diversion trenches; fixing pipelines to drain water out of the building; packing valuable properties on top of tables and wardrobes; leaving the building temporary to stay with neighbours; drying affected items; cleaning the rooms and compound after floods; mending roof of the building and repairing damaged items. Similarly, community members collectively support adaptation by helping in evacuation of flood victims; providing temporal accommodation to some affected members; engaging in general cleaning and clearing choked gutters. The Municipal authority through NADMO also aid in adaptation by providing relief items to flood victims and providing emergency evacuation services to victims of flood. On mitigation however, the findings show that, it is predominantly done by households which are usually insufficient; on some occasions the community members also mitigate floods collectively through clean-up exercises, flood awareness campaigns, clearing choked gutters among others. Government institutions however have not really done much to mitigate the future occurrence of floods in the study communities. Also, it is established that households and other stakeholders are faced with some challenges in their efforts to adapt and mitigate floods: these include lack of funds; lack of cooperation among community members and stakeholders and reckless behavior of some community members among others. The study recommends that stakeholders, especially government should be very proactive in providing lasting solution to floods menace through the provision of storm drains; improved flood awareness campaigns, improvement in solid waste collection and management and through effective enforcement of building regulations.