Social Dimensions of Vulnerability to Flooding in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana

Stephanie Tetteh, University Of Ghana
Samuel Codjoe, University of Ghana
Donatus Yaw Atiglo, University Of Ghana

Flooding impacts different population groups in varying ways, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions like the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), where climate-related hazards are prevalent. This thesis investigates the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics underlying household vulnerability to flooding within GAMA, offering key insights for effective flood vulnerability assessments. The study utilizes secondary data from the 2018 Cities and Climate Change Survey, conducted in flood prone localities in urban Accra. The dependent variable, vulnerability was assessed as a composite variable, comprising exposure to flooding, relocation due to floods, and the physical, financial, educational, and health impacts of flooding. Poisson regression analyses were employed to explore the relationship between flood vulnerability and key sociodemographic variables including household head's age, religion, education level, wealth, social support, early warnings, flood prediction, entrance elevation, and household size. The results highlight that, factors such as household wealth (economic), access to social support (social), access to early warnings systems and the ability to predict floods (technology) significantly influence vulnerability to flooding. This research contributes valuable insights into the social, demographic and technological dimensions of vulnerability to flooding in GAMA and offers empirical basis for recommendations to implement targeted interventions towards flood resilience in the region.

Keywords: Population, Environment, and Climate Change

See extended abstract.