Battling with urban floods: Household experience, coping and adaptation strategies in Ghana

Empirical works have shown rising urban floods in Ghana and the associated household vulnerabilities. However, the flood response mechanisms by households remain inadequately understood. This paper, therefore, analyses the dynamics of urban floods and the response mechanisms of flood-prone community-dwelling households in Greater Kumasi, Ghana using a concurrent triangulation mixed method design. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical tools in IBM SPSS (Version 21) while the qualitative data were analysed using NVivo 12 analytical software. The results showed that households employed different flood coping strategies including bailing out of the water, placing valuable items above the ground level, and seeking support from neighbours. Adaptation took the form of massive use of concrete flood defence walls and elevated entrances, the use of sandbags as embarkments, and reinforced building foundations with concrete work. The uncoordinated nature of these individual strategies coupled with overdependence on the structural defence mechanisms made these response mechanisms less effective. For effective flood control, a site-specific mix of structural and non-structural flood control mechanisms is recommended. Crucially, it demands strict enforcement of land use regulations, land use, and development control, and sustained community sensitisation on the risks of non-adherence to land use regulations.

Automated summary

This paper analyzes the dynamics of urban floods and the response mechanisms of flood-prone households in Greater Kumasi, Ghana. Household flood coping strategies include bailing out water, protecting valuable items, and seeking support from neighbors. However, the effectiveness of these strategies is limited due to their uncoordinated nature and overdependence on structural defense mechanisms. The study recommends a mix of structural and non-structural flood control measures and highlights the importance of enforcing land use regulations and promoting community sensitization.