FLOODING RELATED CHALLENGES OF LAGOON SETTLEMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF KETA, GHANA

ABSTRACT 

Floods occur when a body of water rises to overflow land which is normally not submerged. The causes and socio-economic effects of flooding in the lagoon settlement  basin  have  been  investigated  in  this  research.  The  Keta  Lagoon floods  its  banks  and  as  a  consequence  leads  to  destruction  of  lives  and properties. This study aimed at investigating the effects of lagoon flooding on communities  along  the  Keta  lagoon,  as  an  environmental  hazard  on  life, property  and  the  socio-economic  activities  of  residents.  The  study  adopted descriptive research design and employed both primary and secondary data and used convenient sampling technique to administer 395 questionnaires. Four (4) key  informants  were  purposely  selected  from  related  institutions.  The  study found out that the causes of flooding in the Keta lagoon settlement basin were both natural and artificial. Climate change contributed to the natural cause of flooding through increase in annual and seasonal rainfall at least, over the last thirty years. Rise in rainfall led to increase in the discharge of the Keta lagoon. The man-made causes of flooding in the Keta lagoon include poor land use, unplanned development  of settlements, and indiscriminate disposal of  refuse into and on the banks of the lagoon. The socio-economic effects of floods in the basin include loss of life and property as well as financial and health problems faced by inhabitants of the basin. Also, the actions and  inactions of concerned institutions have encouraged the haphazard development of settlements in the basin.  The  resettlement  of  communities  in  the  Keta  Lagoon  basin  and  the enforcement of laws which protect the environment and its inhabitants as well as the proper disposal of refuse were key recommendations made as a solution to the problem.