By Christopher Tetteh
Sunyani, (Bono), June 16, GNA-Mrs Gifty Nyarko, a physical planning expert, has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to promote climate-resilient environment in physical planning development.
She said the MMDAs could do that only if they ensured that physical developments were well designed and done in a climate resilient environment, aligned with spatial planning protocols.
Mrs Nyarko, also the African Ambassador for Inclusive Urban Governance and Climate-Resilient Development, made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani.
She attributed the recuring flooding in parts of the country to the loss of urban greenery and the Assemblies to provide adequate spacing for greenery and landscaping.
Mrs Nyarko emphasised that granting building permits alone was not enough, asking the MMDAs to undertake regular inspections in ensuring that estate developers comply with provisions in the permit.
She said it was unfortunate that urban greenery, wetlands, open spaces, grasslands, and natural drainage corridors had been replaced by buildings, roads, pavements, and other hard surfaces in the country.
Mrs Nyarko, also the Executive Director for African Centre for Urban Resilience Planning and Inclusive Governance, a non-government organisation, noted that protecting urban greenery ought to be a national priority.
That is essential for flood disaster and flooding management, environmental protection, and also a climate adaptation strategy.
She said cutting down trees, filling wetlands, encroaching waterways, as well as open spaces converted into buildings were destroying important parts of the natural flood defense system, and responsible for recurring flooding in parts of Accra.
Mrs Nyarko said the nation ought to reserve places for recreation and environmental protection.
“As urban greenery disappears, rainwater can’t infiltrate into the soil,” she said.
Instead, rainwater flows rapidly over hard surfaces into drains and waterways, overwhelming drainage systems and causing flooding.
“Nature is designed for trees to intercept rainfall, vegetation to slow down runoff, wetlands store excess water, and open spaces allow rainwater to soak into the ground as our first line of defense against flooding,” she stated.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Christopher Tetteh
Reporter’s email: [email protected]