A Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Science at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Frederick Ato Armah says the broken relationship Ghana has with the environment is one of the causes of the avoidable floods the country has been recording.
He said if Ghana fails to henceforth treat the environment well, the country will continue to experience adverse effects of flooding and other related problems which can be more serious than what we are experiencing now.
Professor Ato Armah was speaking at his inaugural lecture on the topic, “Restoring Kingship with the Environment: How to Address the Wicked problem of Illegal Artisanal and Small Scale Mining” which was held at the University of Cape Coast last Thursday.
The issue of flooding has been paramount in recent times as most parts of the country are receiving their fair share of the heavy downpour.
In the central region, one person has been confirmed dead with scores of people rendered homeless. ATLFMNEWS gathers affected persons in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem Municipality are seeking shelter in schools, churches, and mosques.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Attah together with other officials is currently in the region to assess the situation as the flood waters also destroyed some roads.
According to Prof Ato Armah “it is not surprising that vegetation cover has given way to ground cover moving away, canopy cover is taken away, you have the bare soil which is exposed and for which reason you find the weather element acting on them and then destroying water bodies’ leading to siltation, comprising the water holding capacity”
To him, mankind perpetually depends on the ecosystem services and there is the risk of human extinction if attitude toward the environment such as building in waterways among others does not change.
He notes that “we are no longer living harmoniously with the environment.
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Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
