Population Density

Rainfall: September 2007

Before Akosombo Dam

Flooding after the Dam

Infrastructure

Population Density: Volta River Basin

project plan

project plan: ghana groupBlog - http://www.ghana-urbanemergencies.blogspot.com/Email - ghana@urbanemergencies.org

working titleFLOODPLAINS: Case studies on seasonal flooding in the North and South of Ghana

Rainfall

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.

problem field definitionFlooding and its urban implications.

aim(s) of study - research claimStudy of how common floods affect places differently based on their spatial and urban organization.

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?

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.

conditions and starting points. context and locationThe 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 – Marcy Vigoda 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) Wise Valence (flooding issues in Accra and the North) NVIU – Trude Armstrong – For accommodations Armstrong Agbor, Ebot [mailto:4237083@student.INHOLLAND.nl]

intentions, in-between and final products (the fruit of our studies) MapsBeautiful, exhibition worthy, sexy, graphical representations of flood phenomena.O-House – for UE Northern regionConclusions, 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 UrbanismManagementDocumentation

roles of team members

shileshPhotography, Blog, GIS, Mapping, Space Syntax

arieGPS, GIS, Blog, Interviews, Mapping

gabrielaContacts, Interviews, Drawings, Mapping, Space Syntax