Rainfall in Ghana: A blessing or curse?

Like any other natural phenomenon on earth, rainfall has rendered its loyal service to humankind, animals, the vegetation and other living creatures since time immemorial. The role and significance of rainfall cannot be over-emphasized. Its sole purpose is to replenish the water on the surface of the earth and underground.

In recent times of climatic change, the rainfall pattern is unstable and most at time,s there is delay of the raining season.

In a worse situation where there is lack of rain for a prolonged period of time, its certain consequences are extreme shortage of water for domestic and commercial activities, poor crop yield and eventually, famine.

In such times of drought, it is not uncommon to find some sect of people devoting themselves to praying to Tefnot, the goddess of rain. Perhaps when praying and offering sacrifices to Tefnot, these superstitious folks in their angst and long wait for rain forget to appease Mehet-Weret, the goddess of flood.

In her towering rage over the err of the people, she ostensibly influences Tefnot to set the rains free from the shackles of the clouds.

The clouds in their protest, become dark suddenly but alas, it rains ‘elephants and whales’ which unexpected by the people, leads to flood as intended by Mehet-Weret. “We prayed for rain but not this disastrous!” , such statement, you will hear from these disappointed people as they ignorantly address their indignation to Tefnot who upon hearing this swears to delay the rainfall for a far more longer period than before.

Very hilarious and primitive as it is, this is the mythological belief about rainfall and the cause of flood among some Egyptian tribes, Mayans, Greeks, and Aztecs and so on. This belief varies from tribe to tribe including those of Sub-Saharan Africa. Not all the people of Ghana are this superstitious but as a nation, we have our own story to tell when it comes to rainfall.

The climate of Ghana is tropical and there are two main seasons: the wet and the dry seasons. Northern part of Ghana mostly experiences its raining season from March to November whiles that of the southern part is from April to mid-November. From the reports of Ghana Weather Averages, rainfall in the country ranges from 78 to 216 centimeters (31 to 85 inches) each year.

Rainfall benefits the nation in many ways. As an agricultural country with many important crops grown here, most of our farmers do not have the required capital to afford irrigation facilities for constant supply of water on their farms hence they depend directly on rainfall.

Agriculture plays a vital role in our economy and when there is drought, it results in food insecurity in most parts of the nation. This means that rainfall has a control over our economy to some extent.

Need I mention that without rainfall, the water level of the Akosombo dam will not be enough for the generation of hydroelectric power for nation-wide consumption? Certainly not! If you are a child in the remote areas and your household is not privileged to have the luxury of a polytank during water shortage, you will be duty-bound to walk long distances in the quest of fetching water from the rivers and streams of nearby villages.

The sound of rainfall charges up everyone; as the mothers engage themselves by putting their buckets and pans under the roof to get enough of the rain that will sustain their households for a week or two, the children in particular like to enjoy getting wet in the rain and playing in the puddles that are created by the rain water. Rain simply beautifies the atmosphere all around us provided it is in reasonable amount.

Rainfall is supposed to be a blessing, bringing joy to the people of our land but this is not so when it rains heavily for long hours; the water level rises and there is flood. Like last year, our country is facing floods in many places. We barely had time to overcome last year’s miseries and again we are pushed into the nook of darkness.

Rainfall that lasts for just about an hour to some residents in flood prone communities doesn’t definitely seem a blessing but a curse in disguise.

A day ago, on my way to board a bus at the Kwame Nkrumah circle station, I wasn’t shocked at all when I heard some adults and children pray, cry and rant their own version of the popular nursery rainfall rhyme, “Rain rain go away. Go and come another year, innocent lives dread to die by the flood war you always win” It was a very funny.

Though I shared in their cry, I don’t think it as wise for people to sit down idle, doing nothing in preparation against flood during the raining season and merely wish that the rains recede. Even if their wish is granted, won’t they cry again as such next year?

Majority of Ghanaians, especially those in Accra, are now suffering from ombrophobia (the fear of rain) after the June 3rd twin disaster which claimed the lives of 159 people.

When you hear that the Meteorology Service has issued a severe weather warning and is forecasting heavy rain over the week, you see people having terrible twinges in their chests, shortness of breath and screaming ‘Oh not another storm!’

It is of a truism that flood is scary and has caused people to have no home to sleep, no food to eat and no one to look after them but the scarier fact is that we haven’t learnt our lessons yet and worse is to happen.

No wonder that last year, a Canadian bet US$ 10,000 on Accra flooding again this 2016 and he has obviously won. We are probably waiting for more human resources and properties to be lost to the flood before we start putting things right.

Have we been good citizens and kept the vows we made last year of stopping the indiscriminate disposal of refuse in the country?

It is very cynical that some people still see it as an opportunity to dump rubbish into the rain water since that would cost them no pesewa. They may not face the consequences of their actions directly but the fact that an innocent person will be made to bear it, such people should be humanitarian enough to know that you cannot live in convenience in the threat to human life.

Most Ghanaians enjoy making the ballyhoo about problems. This is when the blame game starts: the populace blame government and government blames the people, as the cause of the floods in the nation. Even supernatural forces get their share of the blame.

Is it always that when rainfall comes to visit us, he brings his sinister brother, flood along? No! So far as we put things right; so far as we see to it that our drainage system is working effectively, this won’t be the case. Flooding remains a global issue but Ghana’s seriousness in curbing it or alleviating its effect to me, is minimal.

It is about time we stopped flood from being a recurrent disaster in our beloved country. This seemingly insurmountable socio-economic malaise must be tackled head-on once and for all.

What can be the solution? We need to act today because if we don’t, for many of us, tomorrow may never come. This problem is not only for NADMO to solve. Every citizen’s active contribution and compliance to regulations is needed.

The Town Planning Council must ensure that builders acquire permission before buildings are erected to safeguard the water ways from being blocked. The pre-existent buildings erected on water ways and in flood prone areas must be demolished. So far as it is in the good of the citizens of the nation, this is no cause for alarm and no brouhaha must be entertained concerning this action.

In some places, retaining walls, levees, lakes, dams, reservoirs or retention ponds must be constructed to hold extra water in case there is flooding. Also, drainage systems must be covered and kept free from objects that chock them. This way, water can quickly run through it when it rains and minimize any chance of town flooding.

In the fight against flood, education cannot be exempted. The people need to be educated against the indiscriminate disposal of refuse in the country; laws must be made against it and culprits of this law must be dealt with drastically as deterrent to others.

Garbage cans must also be placed at vantage points in all parts of the nation to reduce refuse littering on the streets and gutters. Our gutters must also be widened and de-silted frequently.

The rain has taken up again and already there have been reports of people losing their lives and properties to flood in most parts of Accra especially Kaneshie, Malam Junction, Teshie, Nungua, Kwame Nkrumah circle and Madina. I believe that if the above listed measures and others are put in place, flooding will be a thing of the past to posterity.

I agree with Vladimur Nabokov when he says, “Do not be angry with the rain; it simply doesn’t know how to fall upwards” Well, I don’t want to be bias regarding this issue so I ask, “Rainfall in Ghana: A blessing or curse?” You be the judge!