Beyond the plan: How land use control practices influence flood risk in Sekondi-Takoradi

Abstract

Using a pragmatic philosophical underpinning, this article analyses how land use planning actions and inactions contribute to flood risk creation in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. In recent times, the planning system in Ghana has come under intense public criticism for failure to effectively control physical development in the major cities. The recurring flooding in the cities of Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Sekondi-Takoradi seems to testify to this failure. Many lives and property have been lost through these flooding events in the country. This article argues from a disaster risk reduction point of view that the ineffectiveness in elementary processes of land use planning, such as delays in permit approval, inadequate monitoring and inspections, and lax enforcement of regulations, potentially creates flood risk. The rational of this study is therefore to bring to light the land use planning actions and inactions that create flood risk in Sekondi-Takoradi exposing urban dwellers to flooding. Because of the article’s pragmatic underpinning, a mixed-methods case study approach was adopted for this investigation. Both survey and interview data were collected from homeowners and planning institutions in Sekondi-Takoradi to ascertain how land use control practices seem to be contributing to flood risk in the municipality. The analyses comprised simple statistical analysis of the survey data in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and thematic analyses of the interview data. The findings reveal that institutional incapacities have resulted in delays in permit approvals, non-compliance with permit regulations, uncontrolled conversion of vegetated land, lax monitoring and inspections of physical developments and poor enforcement. These institutional challenges have emboldened prospective land developers and homeowners to flout building and land use regulations. This has led to the building of residential properties in swamps, waterways and other flood-prone locations, creating flood risk.

Causes, impacts and coping strategies of floods in Ghana: a systematic review

“…Finding from Amoako and Inkoom [21] also revealed that rainfall intensity or storm surges trigger flash flood in urban areas. Research demonstrated that urban flood in Ghana occur due to poor drainage system [27], poor waste management [28], removal of urban vegetation [23] and poor urban and structural planning [23,29]; however, the planning system in Ghana has failed to successfully control urban physical development [30] and this has exacerbated the effects of urban flooding.…”

“…A total of 18 articles were identified and coded for patterns in data [65]. Eighteen studies reported poor urban planning and development as the causes of flood, for instance, [23,29,57,66]. Next, 11 studies reported on poor drainage network, for instance, [27,67,68].…”

“…For example, it was found that delays in permit approvals, lack of monitoring and inspections of physical developments, non-conformance with permit laws and regulations, and poor enforcement Relocation and protecting properties: relocating to stay with friends; evacuation of victims and properties; early transfer of items to safe places; temporarily seeking refuge; transfer valuables to neighbours; relocating during floods; packing items on shelves and high levels; placing valuables on shelves; packing of assets to safe place; constructing platforms in the rooms to keep valuable properties; raising foundations; sandbags to block water flows; mounting beds on concrete blocks; elevate land before building, walls and entry points of the house; rebuild destroyed houses with cement; build flood steps; put stones at the edge of the river; filling their compounds with gravel; construction of barriers; reroofing housing before the rains set in Preventive strategies were responsible for urban flood [29]. Tasantab [29] suggested early approval of permit as well as inspecting and monitoring of physical development to ensure compliance with planning requirements could be an important strategy to mitigating flooding events. Similarly, the land ownership system is an impediment to the successful management of wetlands by city authorities [57].…”

Shifts in Spatial Plans for Flood Resilience and Climate Adaptation: Examining Planning Procedure and Planning Mandates

“…The second lesson from the case of Guangzhou is that the success of coordination across levels of government relies on the presence of a set of clear and specific tools and indicators for translating national policy goals into local plans and policies. Both of these lessons are helpful in responding to the flood governance challenges observed in other cities across the world [8][9][10]. The potential challenges concerning the capacity of planners to tackle flood issues and governance conflicts, such as those mismatches concerning administrative and water basin boundaries portrayed in this paper, require great attention.…”

“…This concern emerges in recent planning literature and stresses how statutory regulations can affect the progress of implementation and the enforcement of legal obligations when they are imposed upon planners, developers, and individuals. For example, in the United Kingdom, authorities increasingly require planners to restrict constructions in flood-prone areas to reduce flood exposure [9]; or, in Ghana, the poor enforcement of planning permission makes it impossible to restrict illegal urban construction which increases vulnerability to flood [10]. A similar concern arises more often in climate mitigation and adaptation studies: strong legal mandates of the authorities or the mandatory character of agreements may, in some cases, facilitate the effectiveness of agents' actions by providing resources or knowledge and shaping the perceptions of the issue [11,12].…”