By Cecil MENSAH
The World Bank has expressed concerns about the levels of informal settlements in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) of the Greater Accra Region.
According to the World Bank, its support for the most vulnerable communities within critical basins, including the upgrade of basic infrastructure and services, will be prioritised in the most vulnerable communities in the country.
The World Bank says it is developing and retrofitting drains, pavements, schools, health centres as part of the support to the lower cost housing options to enhance resilience in the Greater Accra Region.
The World Bank explained that frequent flooding in Accra has over the years taken a huge toll on the city’s competiveness, as well as the financial and socio-economic wellbeing of the people of the informal settlements in the country.
The World Bank has pledged its readiness to assist to deal with the situation at a meeting held in Accra at the instance of the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah.
The World Bank will proffer urgent actions in the informal settlements to prepare for the recurrent floods by dredging, de-silting and waste collection improvements.
The World Bank representative, Ivo Imparato, the said the GAMA is home to 4.6 million Ghanaians, accounting for 16.3 percent of Ghana’s 2016 total population; thereby contributing to 25 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to him, in spite of this the region has not managed to keep up with the rapid population and spiral growth in the country.
He said this has contributed to a number of challenges and making people in these areas highly susceptible to floods, sea-level rise, fire outbreaks and building collapse.
He explained that the effect of climate change has exacerbated GAMA’s vulnerabilities by increasing the frequency and intensity of floods and further increasing the rural –urban migration as a result of droughts in the northern parts of the country.
He maintained that the flood of June, 2015 which affected 52,000 people and killed 150 persons was a wake-up call for the World Bank and the Government of Ghana.
He added that in view of this, the bank carried out a study to assess the impacts of the 2015 floods and as a result identified these underlining causes.
‘’The study estimated a damage of US$ 55 million across transport, housing and water sectors as well as US$105 million in reconstruction needs.”
Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development and Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, said his Ministry will specifically target very poor people, particularly in informal settlements in the country to improve upon infrastructure in these areas.
The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South in the Eastern and Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing Samuel Atta-Kyea called for synergy and cooperation among the sector ministries to arrive at a common view of making the lives of the slum dweller better.
Writer’s e-mail: cecilm@businessdayghana.com
