Asamoah Moses, Dzodzomenyo Mawuli, Gyimah Faustina Twumwaa, Li Chengxiu, Agyemang Linda, Wright Jim
Ghana School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
PLoS One. 2024 Dec 2;19(12):e0310952. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310952. eCollection 2024.
Dams provide water for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use, particularly in arid regions. However, controlled dam releases due to heavy rainfall may affect downstream communities' livelihoods and life courses such long-term impacts may be omitted from damage and loss assessments. This study aims to assess the lived experiences and long-term consequences of dam release flooding for downstream populations, comparing these with the typical scope of a damage and loss assessment (DaLA).
This research was conducted in two flood-prone districts in the White Volta basin, Ghana, subject to dam spillage. Four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with community opinion headers, household heads, chiefs, local politicians, and institutional staff were conducted and analysed, alongside semi-structured interviews with twelve opinion leaders and disaster-related institutions.
Flood-affected communities struggled to attract partners for marriage due to stigmatisation from flooding impacts. Women outside flooded areas rejected male members' marriage proposals, while communities offered young girls for marriage to wealthy men for greater financial security. Out-migration of female members to seek better livelihoods frequently led to divorce, subsequently affecting children's education and well-being. Participants reported long-term trauma from flood-related contact with dangerous wildlife, travel disruption, disease risk, livelihood loss, and accidents. Such life course events and long-term trauma would be omitted from a DaLA exercise.
Beyond its immediate impacts, flooding undermines family relationships and marriage, impairing children's education and traumatises affected communities. We recommend livelihood diversification programmes, psychological support and family counselling to address these long-term impacts, with expansion of DaLA's scope to underpin such support.
大坝为工业、农业和家庭用水提供水源，在干旱地区尤为如此。然而，因暴雨而进行的大坝控制性泄洪可能会影响下游社区的生计和人生历程，而此类长期影响在损害和损失评估中可能会被忽略。本研究旨在评估大坝泄洪洪水对下游居民的实际生活体验和长期后果，并将其与损害和损失评估（DaLA）的典型范围进行比较。
本研究在加纳白沃尔特河流域两个易受洪水影响且会遭受大坝溢流的地区开展。与社区意见领袖、户主、酋长、当地政治家和机构工作人员进行了四次焦点小组讨论（FGD）并进行分析，同时对12位意见领袖和与灾害相关的机构进行了半结构化访谈。
受洪水影响的社区因洪水影响带来的污名化而难以吸引婚姻伴侣。洪水泛滥地区以外的女性拒绝男性成员的求婚，而社区会将年轻女孩嫁给富有的男性以获得更好的经济保障。女性成员外迁寻求更好的生计常常导致离婚，进而影响孩子的教育和幸福。参与者报告称，与危险野生动物的洪水相关接触、出行受阻、疾病风险、生计丧失和事故带来了长期创伤。此类人生历程事件和长期创伤在DaLA评估中会被忽略。
除了直接影响外，洪水还会破坏家庭关系和婚姻，损害儿童教育，并使受影响社区遭受创伤。我们建议开展生计多样化项目、提供心理支持和家庭咨询，以应对这些长期影响，并扩大DaLA的范围以支持此类援助。
