Works and Housing Ministry hands over ‘FEWS’ to Ghana Meteo, NADMO to curb flooding

The Ministry of Works and Housing has announced that the government’s initiative to implement an Accra Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) is a crucial component of its efforts to mitigate flooding in the capital.

The Sector Minister, Francis Asenso-Boakye, highlighted the government’s commitment to providing necessary resources to all relevant agencies responsible for raising awareness about flooding and taking proactive measures to address this recurring issue.

During a handover ceremony of flood early warning equipment to agencies such as the Ghana Meteorological Agency and NADMO, Mr. Asenso-Boakye urged these organizations to effectively utilize the equipment for the benefit of the public.

“The significance of this cannot be overstated, and I am confident that the Accra Flood Early Warning System will become a beacon of hope for our citizens, especially during the flood events in Accra. The procurement and installation of this equipment mark the first step in our journey toward a safer, more resilient Greater Accra Region. However, this is not the end; it is the beginning. In parallel with the procurement and installation of this equipment, we are in the process of engaging a Service Provider to set up the Flood Early Warning System platform and operationalize the system for three years. The Service Provider is also required to maintain the equipment and the overall system, in addition to training nominated staff of the four institutions for sustainable operations and maintenance of the system after the closure of the contract of the Service Provider.”

“The officers here will shed more light on the functioning of the FEWS in general and the respective equipment. As you may be aware, the FEWS Accra is part of the holistic flood mitigation approach adopted by the government to curb flooding in the Greater Accra Region. It includes other structural measures of dredging the Odaw, reconstruction of three bridges, and the broken section of the Odaw Drain at Achimota, expansion of critical tributaries of Nima and Kaneshie drains, and reconfiguration of poorly engineered sections of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle section of the drain”.

He further outlined the equipment making up the Flood Early Warning System.

“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this equipment, as the building blocks of the Flood Early Warning System, includes tipping bucket rain gauges and automatic weather stations, which will collect and transmit the amount and intensity of rainfall, temperature, humidity, and many more meteorological parameters for the Ghana Meteorological Agency. On the other hand, the equipment for the Ghana Hydrological Authority includes ultrasonic water level sensors, velocity radar sensors with cameras, and an acoustic Doppler current profiler, which would also collect and transmit the water levels and runoff volumes in our streams and primary drains. Furthermore, WRC and NADMO have also been provided with IT equipment to support in the coordination and dissemination of the Accra FEWS.”

“The data will be transmitted to a platform where the underlying programming and modelling will simulate the immediate and future scenarios, also known as the nowcasts and forecasts, to estimate the probability of flooding in specific communities ahead of the possible occurrence of floods. It will culminate in the issuance of advanced alerts to residents in specific at-risk communities, granting the vulnerable populations time ahead of imminent floods to secure their valuables, time to evacuate to safer grounds, and time to protect their loved ones.”

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