Open AccessApplication of Geographic Information Systems for Flood Risk Analysis: A Case Study from Accra Metropolitan Area
Author(s) -
Alex Barimah Owusu,
Mathias Agbozo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
present environment and sustainable development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2284-7820
pISSN - 1843-5971
DOI - 10.2478/pesd-2019-0007
Subject(s) - flood myth , metropolitan area , flooding (psychology) , drainage system (geomorphology) , drainage , land use , geography , geographic information system , water resource management , floodplain , drainage basin , risk management , risk analysis (engineering) , environmental planning , environmental science , civil engineering , cartography , engineering , ecology , business , archaeology , psychology , finance , psychotherapist , biology
The main objective of the study was to identify high flood risk zones in AMA. The study also used questionnaires to assess local knowledge on what accounts for the high flood risk in their community. Spatial analysis techniques were used to model flood risk based on the following contributory factors; land cover, soil, drainage density, topography and proximity to rivers. The results show that high flood risk areas covered 46.3km 2 (20%), moderate risk area, 72.9km 2 (31.6%), low risk area 41.5km 2 (18%) and very low risk areas, about 6.7km 2 (2.9%). The high flood risk zones were low-lying areas below 50 meters above sea level and closely associated with poor drainage systems. People perceived not just low-lying areas as a paramount reason accounting for flooding but also very bad waste disposal habit of the public. These offsets the efforts of waste management companies to keep drains free of refuse.