2. Population Density

3. Rainfall:
September 2007

4. Before Akosombo Dam

5. Flooding after the Dam

6. Infrastructure

7. Population Density:
Volta River Basin

11. project plan

12. project plan: ghana group
Blog - http://www.ghana-urbanemergencies.blogspot.com/
Email - ghana@urbanemergencies.org
working title
FLOODPLAINS: Case studies on seasonal flooding in the
North and South of Ghana
Rainfall

13. motivation
The post disaster world is increasing dramatically and one third of the world
is living in unplanned settlements. The statistics are showing that this trend
will increase dramatically in the future and needs attention from spatial
planners such as architects and urbanists.

16. problem field definition
Flooding and its urban implications.
aim(s) of study - research claim
Study of how common floods affect places differently based on their spatial and
urban organization.

19. research questions
How does water define and change urban patterns?
(Obstacle, life giving, disease, rivers swell, changes direction, love / hate, floods bring
fertility to the land)
What are the spatial and axial relationships of cities to rivers / coastlines?
What are the health and sanitation concerns created by floods, and how does it vary with
regard to spatial, material, and the social organization of settlements?
How was the urban space affected directly by the disaster?
(emergency, transition, recovery, rebuilding, normality)…
How did the region redevelop over time? (emergence)
What were the (social, economical and environmental) factors that had an influence on the
redevelopment?
How did the social-economical constraints of a developing country shape the
redevelopment?

23. methodology - research techniques
We are using the scientific method as a starting point:
Observation of phenomenon – investigate phenomena, acquire a body of knowledge
based on observable, empirical and measurable evidence.
Formulate a hypothesis, speculate on reasons for phenomena.
Predict possibilities.
Conclusion. Test predictions and perhaps come up with theories, or more general ideas
with wider implications.
As architects we intend to contribute to the community, the stakeholders, and planners
by making graphical explanations of spatial phenomena and configurations due to
flooding.

25. conditions and starting points. context and location
The size, scale, scope of the area?
(step back and look at entire country, but important to zoom in on the scale of the neighborhood and study in great detail, documentation of one
or two people’s stories)
What are the qualities that we are looking for?
Flood affected sites with rich variety of urban / social / cultural functions.
What are the initial conditions?
(must be determined before landing in Accra)
Need to decide our points of focus (affected areas) to visit
From WISE Valence:
The most hit flood areas in Ghana are Accra for urban floods and the three northern Regions of Ghana being rural floods. In Accra the
most hit basins are Lafa, Dzorwulu Ashiaman, MAMAHUMA and the onukpawahe Basins in Tema. In the three northern regions( Northern(N),
Upper East(UE)& Upper west(UW)) of Ghana the most hit areas are Sandema(UE)( Sisli river), Bawku(UE)(White volta) and Bolgatanga Kulda
river(UE). I can organise maps for the areas soon for you. I am in kumasi currently putting finishing touches to my Mphil programme. If Iam to
choose two areas as case studies I will choose Accra -lafa basin and Sandema -Sisili basin(UE).
Need establish contact with our people, get to know surroundings for one week at least, our network, our resources.
Care International – MarcyVigoda
People's Dialogue Ghana
Henry Bindels – friend of Alex that lives in North of Ghana (potential host)
Kunle Adeyemi (top Ghanaian architect working at OMA)
Joe Addo prominent architect working and living in Ghana.
Red Cross – Eelko Brouwer
Unesco-IHE
J.H.Koster (infrastructure, water and sanitation)
J.Luijendijk (hydro-informatics and spatial planning)
WiseValence (flooding issues in Accra and the North)
NVIU – Trude
Armstrong – For accommodations
Armstrong Agbor, Ebot [mailto:4237083@student.INHOLLAND.nl]

26. intentions, in-between and final products
(the fruit of our studies)
Maps
Beautiful, exhibition worthy, sexy, graphical representations of flood phenomena.
O-House – for UE Northern region
Conclusions, hypothesis, theories.
Information
relevance, scientifically and socially
Spatial data.
Graphical representations.
Accessible knowledge.
Bigger picture, architects/ urbanist's perspective on the situation of disasters.
disciplines
Urbanism
Management
Documentation

27. roles of team members

28. shilesh
Photography, Blog, GIS, Mapping, Space Syntax
arie
GPS, GIS, Blog, Interviews, Mapping
gabriela
Contacts, Interviews, Drawings, Mapping, Space Syntax