For far too long, the people of Accra and many other communities across Ghana have lived with a painful reality: every heavy rainfall brings fear, destruction, loss of property, disruption of businesses, and, tragically, the loss of precious lives.
This must end.
Flooding is not a natural destiny for Ghana. It is the consequence of years of poor planning, weak enforcement of our laws, inadequate investment in drainage infrastructure, indiscriminate disposal of waste, and the gradual destruction of our natural waterways.
It is time to declare urban flood control a matter of national security and economic development. We cannot aspire to build a modern nation while our cities comes to a standstill whenever it rains.
The opportunity has come for us, as a country, to launch the National Flood Resilience and Drainage Transformation Programme, a comprehensive, multi-year initiative with five clear priorities:
First, we have to undertake the most ambitious drainage expansion and rehabilitation programme in our nation’s history. Existing drains has to be widened, new stormwater channels constructed, and all major drains desilted regularly before every rainy season.
Second, we need to enforce our planning and environmental laws without fear or favour. Buildings that obstruct waterways and flood-prone channels will no longer be tolerated. The rule of law must prevail over political influence.
Third, we have to revolutionise waste management. Every Ghanaian has a responsibility to protect our environment. Dumping refuse into drains should be seen as an attack on our communities and must attract severe sanctions.
Fourth, restoring our rivers, wetlands, lagoons, and natural drainage systems must be a priority. Nature is our first line of defence against flooding, and we must protect it.
Finally, alongside NADMO we will have to establish a permanent National Flood Management Authority to coordinate planning, engineering, enforcement, emergency response, and climate resilience across all ministries, departments, and local assemblies.
This must not be seen as a simple infrastructure agenda but a commitment to protect lives, safeguard businesses, preserve public investments, and restore confidence in our ability, as a nation, to solve real problems.
I believe Ghana deserves cities that are clean, safe, resilient, and worthy of our aspirations. We have the engineers, the expertise, and the resources. What has been missing is decisiveness and the political will to act consistently.
Together, we will have to build a nation where rainfall no longer brings fear, but hope. Together, lets build cities that work for everybody.
We are all responsible.
Source: Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org/Ghana/West Africa
