Geographically induced and the spatially differentiated dimension of flood vulnerability in Greater Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Over the past several years, the constant flooding events and their lethal consequences have reignited the debate on the need for vulnerability assessment of flood-prone communities in urban areas as a flood risk mitigation and adaptation measure. This article focuses on Ghana and uses remotely sensed high-resolution data, and community mapping to assess the flood vulnerability of 442 urban communities of the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA). The Compound Topographic Index and the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission were used systematically. The results showed that 43% of communities were found in low-risk areas, 30% were in medium-risk areas, and 27% were in high-risk areas. Flood intensity and frequencies were found to be dependent on location relative to slopes and undulating terrain. We argue that the identified flood hazard communities should guide policymakers in proffering specific and targeted interventions toward flood risk reduction and community resilience strategies.