The Impact of Flood on Food Security in Farming Communities in Kumbungu District in the Northern Region of Ghana

Abstract

Flooding is the most common environmental hazard worldwide, after diseases and transport accidents. Excessive rainfall coupled with the spillage of excess water upstream from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso has resulted in the death of humans and animals and destroyed farms, buildings, storage facilities, and crops. This is because of the wide geographical distribution of river floodplains and low-lying coasts and their long-standing attraction for human settlement. The research focused on communities along the White Volta basin in the Kumbungu District. The study discussed local farmers’ perception of the causes of floods in the affected communities, identified factors that exposed the people staying in these communities to vulnerability, and identified coping mechanisms employed by the community during and after floods. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research used household and institutional surveys and face-to-face interviews to collect data on flood disaster experiences. A sample size of 168 respondents was selected using systematic, purposive, and simple random methods. The study established that floods negatively impacted food security and people's livelihoods, especially agriculture. Children, women, and the elderly were groups identified to be most vulnerable to flooding. The research revealed that victims do not receive timely and adequate support in the aftermath of flooding. Most respondents used wood, grass, and mud as building materials that are not flood resistant. Some coping mechanisms are pito brewing, petty trading, fish mongering, prematurely harvesting crops, weaving thatch for local roofing, planting early maturing crops, and selling livestock. Keywords: Flood, Vulnerability, Food, Farms, Households DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-3-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2023