Stakeholders Discuss Flood Risk Management at White Volta Basin Workshop

A two-day workshop on flood disaster risk management has been held in Bolgatanga to assess flood risks and institutional challenges in managing floods in vulnerable communities within the White Volta Basin.

The workshop forms part of the Participatory Assessment of Flood-Related Disaster Prevention and Development of Adapted Coping Systems (PARADeS) project, a three-year research initiative led by the University of Bonn and the University of Freiburg in partnership with the Food Competence Center, NADMO, the Water Resources Commission (WRC), and WASCAL. The project is funded by the German Government.

Chief Basin Officer of the WRC, Dr. Mawuli Lumor, said the project would help improve flood management by gathering views and experiences from stakeholders to support ongoing research.

He explained that the project would produce flood maps to identify high-risk areas and help communities build resilience against flooding.

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Dr. Lumor also highlighted the need for stronger coordination among institutions such as the Ghana Meteorological Agency, Hydrological Services Department, Ghana Geological Survey Authority, NADMO, and the WRC, particularly in responding to flood threats like water spillage from Burkina Faso’s Bagre Dam.

He added that the project would develop web-based interactive support systems to improve information sharing and early warning mechanisms.

Research team member Dr. Adrian Almoradie introduced the Ghana Participatory Stakeholders’ Decision Support System (Gaps-FDSS), a web-based platform that will provide researchers and experts with access to flood disaster risk management information and data.

Dr. Annika Schuttrumpf of the Food Competence Center also presented a flood label concept designed to help communities improve building standards and construct more flood-resilient homes.

The PARADeS project seeks to engage stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels to develop flood adaptation strategies, strengthen disaster management systems, and improve policies for integrated flood risk management and infrastructure protection.