Ghana Flood Crisis Prompts Urgent Calls for Urban Planning Reform and Drainage Protection

Recurring floods across Ghana have caused dozens of deaths, displaced thousands and inflicted extensive damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. KOANS Estate CEO Kofi Anokye warned that the floods are largely preventable, attributing them to poor urban planning, weak enforcement of building regulations, inadequate drainage systems, waste clogging and illegal construction on waterways.

A study by the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project found that 16 % of legally protected 25‑metre drainage buffer zones have been encroached upon, with 10,497 structures built within these zones between 2022 and 2026, further reducing the capacity of drains to carry stormwater.

The National House of Chiefs has urged the government to adopt permanent flood‑control measures, while the Ghana Medical Association called on President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive action, improve drainage maintenance, enforce land‑use regulations, and boost public education on flood preparedness. Together, these stakeholders emphasize the need for coordinated national effort, stronger institutional oversight and public‑private partnerships to mitigate future flood disasters.