Abstract
This study assessed the factors contributing to flooding and adaptation strategies employed by residents of the Tamale Metropolis to mitigate the effects of flooding in the Northern Region, Ghana. The research used mixed research approach that was descriptive with data collection by both quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, 400 residents from the Tamale Metropolis were sampled, and the data were analyzed through a not ordered least square (OLS) model and Kendall's coefficient concordance. The research has the overall performances of the model come out by using the R-squared and Adjusted R-squared values, which amount to the 0.745 and 0.720, respectively. Furthermore, flood incidence as an independent variable in the regression analysis has a positive coefficient of 1.678, which means that a rising flood incidence is linked to an intensification of flooding in Tamale Metropolis. Besides, the research found that the two adaptation measures being the use of flood barriers and sandbags were the most favored by the population. The fact that the usage of emergency supplies is based at the last position among the adaption strategies which are meant to avert the negative effects of flooding has been ranked as the least employed strategy of mitigating the effects of flooding. The results showed that during the flood season, water level rise, infrastructural damages, poor land use classification, economic status, water supply systems, sanitation facilities, roads network, the presence of low-lying areas, agricultural land, and government agencies have a major influence on the flooding situation in the Tamale Metropolis. This study recommends that the urban planning guidelines of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly should be enforced and implemented to oversee the management and planning of the land use, management of unplanned development and reduction of the ecological degradation by infrastructure around flooding.