A study by the Meteorology and Climate Science Unit of the Department of Physics at the Kwame Nkrumah University Science Technology (KNUST), Kumasi has revealed that flooding within the River Pra basin is expected to get severe because of increasing human activities.
Due to deforestation and unlawful mining without land reclamation, the Pra River basin has recently become a growing concern. According to reports, these actions have a harmful influence on the ecosystem. About 7 million people live along the Pra river, which runs through the Ashanti, Eastern, Central, and Western Regions.
Ms. Marian Amoakowaah Osei's study looked at weather patterns around these areas during the last 40 years. "We started by examining continuous rainy and dry days, as well as the meteorological factors that induced rainfall in the Pra watershed over the last 40 years," she explained.
The research, which is part of Ms. Osei's PhD thesis, used a method known as hydrological model (SWAT) to simulate floods and the elements that interact with rainfall and flood occurrence in the watershed, according to Ms. Osei.
"After that, we looked at projected rains over the next 5 to 100 years and the likelihood of specific flood volumes occurring again at various sub-basins of the Pra watershed," she explained.
Findings
The researchers found that frequent flooding is expected at the south of the Pra river basin. This is due to increased flood volume of more than 3,500 cubic meters or about 920,000 gallons per annum.
The researchers, therefore, warn of the high cost of processing water for human consumption due to the situation. “The high cost of freshwater processing for human consumption is envisaged due to increasing pollution and sediment load,” she said.
Recommendations
Professor Leonard Amekudzi, the supervisor, advocated for rainfall harvesting as a flood prevention measure and to promote climate-smart agriculture. Dams and reservoirs are being built, and bylaws prohibiting indiscriminate garbage dumping in drainage systems are being strictly enforced. He believes that training NADMO workers on flood control and media advocacy on the Pra River's worsening state is a critical approach. "In addition, the government should adopt tough intervention laws to combat unlawful mining in the basin," he said.
He disclosed that a three-year project known as FURIFLOOD is expected to provide further research on flood forecasting, management, and control over the Pra and other West African river basins.