President John Dramani Mahama has attributed Ghana’s recurring flood disasters to a combination of climate change, engineering challenges and irresponsible human behaviour, warning that the actions of a few individuals continue to put entire communities at risk.
Speaking after touring flood-affected areas, the President said while increasing rainfall linked to climate change is beyond human control, many of the factors worsening flooding are man-made and can be addressed through decisive action.
According to him, rainfall levels in Accra have risen significantly over the past three years, placing enormous pressure on the city’s drainage systems.
“GMet says that in 2024, for a period of 30 days in June, we had 85 millimetres of rain. In 2025, it increased to 172, and in 2026, for the same 30-day period, it increased to 333 millimetres,” he said.
The president noted that the increasing frequency of rainfall leaves little time for waterways to recover before more rain arrives.
“Out of 30 days, it kept raining 22 days. ” There were only seven or eight dry days in June,” he explained, describing the changing weather pattern as a major contributor to the flooding situation.
President Mahama said Accra’s geographical location also presents unique challenges. He explained that the city was built on a plain between the Akwapim mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, with several natural streams originally flowing through the area into the sea.
“As the population continues to increase and people continue to build, it restricts the path of the streams on their way to the Atlantic. So that’s an engineering problem. We need to see how to open the channels so that the water can pass,” he stated.
Beyond climate and infrastructure concerns, Mahama pointed to human behaviour as a major factor behind the recurring floods. He criticised the indiscriminate dumping of waste into drains and wetlands, saying such practices continue to obstruct waterways and worsen flooding.
“Dumping garbage in the drains, putting all kinds of items in the drains after creating waste instead of sending it to the appropriate place, is contributing to the problem,” he said.
The President revealed that authorities had identified several illegal dumping sites on wetlands where individuals allegedly charge fees to dispose of waste before later selling the reclaimed land for development.
“We discovered many illicit dumping sites in the wetlands. People have gone on to create waste dumping grounds. They charge GH¢20 for people to dump waste into the wetlands, and when it fills up sufficiently, they sell the land to people to build on it,” he disclosed.
Mahama stressed that the government would intensify efforts to clear blocked waterways and remove structures obstructing drainage channels. He announced that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), working with the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, would be tasked with identifying all structures and obstacles preventing the free flow of water.
“We need to identify all the buildings that are obstructing the waterways,” he said, adding that authorities would not only demolish affected structures but also clear the debris afterwards.
“We’ll not only break the houses. We have to move the rubble out of the way because there’s no use breaking a house and leaving the rubble in the waterways,” he stated.
The President further announced plans to convene a National Security Council meeting to coordinate a nationwide response to the flooding challenge and ensure that identified obstructions are removed before future rains cause further devastation.
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