Severe flooding leaves a trail of death and destruction in West Africa
Flooding is a recurring problem in the region, where the rainy season runs from May to July. But Ghana registered more than 140mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period, which represents one of the highest volumes recorded by the country in a single day since 1995.
“These floods will continue to become increasingly frequent and severe as global warming will intensify in the coming years,” said Benjamin Sultan, a researcher at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development.
"It is normal for it to rain at this time of year, but not with such intensity as to cause deadly flooding."
Entire buildings and roads were submerged in Ghana's capital Accra on Monday, cutting off access to several areas of the city.
Video footage showed residents swimming in neck-deep water to rescue trapped neighbours, while vehicles were abandoned on flooded roads.
Government responses
The country's President John Mahama ordered the demolition of all structures built in waterways after the devastation seen in Accra, which is home to more than 5 million people.
He also ordered the immediate release of $29 million for flood relief efforts.
In Côte d'Ivoire, communications minister Amadou Coulibaly said the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue looking for victims.
“The highest death toll was recorded in the municipality of Attécoubé, with around 20 deaths, where people have, sadly, returned to sites from which they had previously been displaced,” he said.
“This is the time to issue another appeal to the general public, asking them to leave these sites that have been identified as being at risk."
The Ivorian government has announced two sites for the construction of 12,000 affordable homes, which should eventually enable around 60,000 people to be rehoused.
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Human toll
According to Sultan, Africa is particularly affected by such extreme weather conditions due to "the human factor".
"Poor housing conditions, large populations residing in precarious construction [in] flood-prone areas, poor drainage systems, blocked waterways.... All these add further difficulties in managing the risks posed by global warming," he explained. Houses damaged by landslides and flooding in the Mossikro neighbourhood of Attecoube, a suburb of Côte d'Ivoire's capital Abidjan, 29 June.
In Benin, torrential rains on Monday and Tuesday paralysed the capital Cotonou. Roads were submerged with 141mm of water recorded near one of the main access routes to the city.
“Really, this is impossible. I've been stuck here for more than two hours. I'm a chauffeur and this is very bad for my earnings,” one driver told RFI.
A retired civil servant in Togo's capital Lomé said he had eventually had to leave his house as a result of frequent flooding. “From 1993 to 2023, we were doing well. But as from 2023, it is non-stop floods. All the houses are flooded. More than 34 hectares are flooded."
One woman, a seamstress, said she had lost her sewing machines in the floods. “We lost everything. My machines are underwater. My clients' fabrics are under water. We want the government to get rid of the water so that we can go back to living decently in our home."
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'Reshaping cities'
Sultan said the heavy rainfall on the coast of West Africa was forecast back in May, and even earlier in March.
“Communications to the public need to be improved. Measures need to be taken to facilitate evacuations and speed up assistance to the most vulnerable," he said.
“Reshaping towns and cities, building flood walls or dykes in coastal regions... there are a number of things that need to be done, but the problem is that it is very expensive,” he added.
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According to the World Meteorological Organisation, the cost of climate adaptation in Africa over the next decade is estimated at between $30 billion and $50bn a year, representing 2 to 3 per cent of the region's gross domestic product.
“In a region already facing significant poverty, this is a very substantial investment,” said Sultan.
(with newswires)