Don’t see just destruction but a serious environmental and public health hazard
Every year, parts of Ghana experience flooding, destroying property and damaging infrastructure. Homes become inaccessible, buildings collapse, vehicles are washed away, and people are injured or lose their lives.
What is not always apparent with these floods are the serious environmental and public health implications. Floodwaters often carry toxic substances and disease-causing organisms that can affect human health long after the water has receded.
Let us take Accra as an example. Agbogbloshie is one of the world’s most well-known polluted sites. The storage, dismantling, and burning of electronic waste there release toxic pollutants, including heavy metals and other hazardous substances, into the environment. When Agbogbloshie floods, or when floodwaters pass through the area, these pollutants can be transported and deposited in places that were not originally contaminated.
The pollutants may end up in soils, water bodies, food crops, and residential areas, exposing people who have no connection to activities occurring in Agbogbloshie. Floodwaters can also contaminate drinking water sources and spread sewage, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea.
The risk of pollution therefore extends far beyond the immediate flood zone. In many cases, the health implications may be greater for people who are not regularly exposed to these contaminants. It is somewhat similar to a non-smoker being exposed to cigarette smoke; the effects may be more severe because the person has not been routinely exposed.
Every flood carries hidden environmental and public health risks. If the public health surveillance system is robust, it may reveal increases in certain illnesses and hospital attendance following major flooding events, particularly acute cases related to contaminated water, infections, and injuries.
Some effects are immediate, while others may take years to manifest. By the time certain chronic health conditions appear, the source of exposure may no longer be obvious.
We should therefore not see floods only as a problem of damaged roads, homes, and property. They are also significant environmental and public health hazards.
Have you ever lived through a flood? What was your experience during and after the event?
Kenneth Bansah, PhD, PE
