Ghana adopts science‑driven plan to curb flood damage

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), through its Research Staff Association, has issued a comprehensive flood‑mitigation strategy for Ghana that combines short‑term, medium‑term and long‑term measures.

Short‑term actions call for intensified sanitation inspections, desilting drains before the rainy season, scientific mapping of flood‑prone communities, and the rollout of an integrated early‑warning system delivering alerts via SMS, radio and social media. Portable CSIR‑developed water‑purification units are also proposed to provide safe drinking water to affected areas. Medium‑term steps focus on stopping illegal mining (galamsey), curbing uncontrolled deforestation, restoring degraded wetlands, constructing recharge ponds and deploying smart sensors to continuously monitor surface‑water and groundwater levels. The long‑term vision is to build flood‑resilient cities and improve water security across the country.