Every rainy season in Ghana brings a familiar cycle of destruction. Lives are lost, homes are submerged, businesses suffer heavy losses, and millions of cedis are spent on emergency relief and reconstruction. Yet, despite these recurring disasters, the root causes of flooding remain largely unresolved.
Journalist and building contractor Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah believes the time has come for government to take bold and decisive action to permanently address the country’s flood crisis, particularly in southern Ghana.
According to him, once the current rainy season ends, government must immediately embark on far-reaching structural reforms instead of waiting for another disaster to expose the country’s vulnerabilities.
His foremost recommendation is the demolition of all structures built on waterways. While acknowledging the political, financial, and social implications of such an exercise, Mr. Mintah argues that the cost of inaction is far greater.
“No government can continue to watch citizens lose their lives and property every year because waterways have been blocked by unauthorized developments,” he said.
He also proposes that major drainage channels across southern Ghana be dredged to a depth of about 20 feet to significantly increase their capacity to carry floodwaters. In addition, he recommends redesigning roadside drains to a minimum depth of six feet and a width of four feet, arguing that many existing drains are incapable of handling the increasing volume of stormwater generated during heavy rainfall.
Mr. Mintah explained that southern Ghana naturally receives runoff from several parts of the country before the water eventually drains into the sea. As a result, drainage infrastructure in the southern belt must be designed to accommodate substantially larger volumes of water.
He cited the recent flooding at Tse Addo, including areas around the ICGC Christ Temple, popularly known as Otabil Church, and the recurring inundation of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange as clear evidence that Ghana’s drainage system requires a comprehensive redesign rather than piecemeal interventions.
According to him, these recurring incidents demonstrate that flooding is no longer simply an environmental challenge but a structural engineering problem requiring long-term planning, sustained investment, and effective maintenance.
Mr. Mintah further identified major drainage channels at Nungua, Teshie-Nungua Estates, Kpeshie, Osu, and the Korle Lagoon as priority areas requiring urgent dredging, expansion, and continuous maintenance to ensure the free flow of water into the sea.
He also raised concerns about the recently constructed Klagon Bridge leading to the Ramsar Site, describing it as inadequate for the volume of water carried by the Klagon River during periods of heavy rainfall. He has therefore called on government to engage the contractors to redesign the bridge and construct a larger structure capable of handling future flood volumes, similar in concept to the Adomi Bridge.
Beyond infrastructure, Mr. Mintah believes Ghana’s flooding problem reflects broader governance challenges. Weak enforcement of planning regulations, indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains, unchecked development on wetlands and waterways, and poor maintenance of drainage infrastructure have all contributed to the worsening situation.
He stressed that government alone cannot resolve the crisis. Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies must strictly enforce building regulations and prevent unauthorized developments on waterways. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Hydrological Services Department, and other relevant institutions should collaborate on a comprehensive national flood management strategy that prioritizes prevention over emergency response.
He also urged citizens to play their part by avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal, protecting wetlands and natural waterways, and supporting environmental conservation efforts. Public education, effective law enforcement, and sustained investment in modern drainage infrastructure, he said, are critical to breaking Ghana’s annual cycle of flooding.
For Mr. Mintah, the devastating scenes witnessed in recent years—from the floods at Tse Addo and the ICGC Christ Temple area to the repeated inundation of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange and several communities across Greater Accra—must not become accepted as a seasonal norm. Instead, they should serve as a catalyst for urgent reforms and long-term solutions.
With climate change, rapid urbanisation, poor drainage planning, and encroachment on waterways combining to intensify flood risks, he believes there is no room for complacency.
“If Ghana is serious about ending the annual cycle of flood disasters,” he argued, “then difficult decisions can no longer be postponed.”
He maintains that demolishing structures on waterways, expanding drainage systems, redesigning critical flood-prone infrastructure, and enforcing planning regulations may be unpopular, but they are essential to protecting lives and property.
“The time for studies and promises has passed,” he concluded. “What Ghana needs now is bold action. Delaying these interventions will only guarantee that future rainy seasons bring more destruction, more suffering, and more preventable deaths.”
Write ✍️ Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah