BY GRACE ZIGAH
An environmental policy expert has cautioned that the worsening flooding crisis cannot be resolved through monthly national clean-up exercises alone, urging the government to prioritise long-term investments in drainage infrastructure, stronger enforcement of environmental regulations and modern stormwater management systems.
Dr. Juliet Ohemeng-Ntiamoah made the remarks following President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement that the government is considering introducing a mandatory nationwide clean-up exercise every month to complement the existing two-day national sanitation campaign.
The President made the announcement after participating in and inspecting the commencement of the national clean-up exercise at Alajo in Accra, where he argued that the current two-day exercise was inadequate to address the country’s mounting sanitation challenges.
However, speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, Dr. Ohemeng-Ntiamoah maintained that while communal labour remains an important tool for promoting civic responsibility, community participation and environmental ownership, it should not be mistaken for a comprehensive solution to the persistent flooding and sanitation problems.
“We all agree that this clean-up is not a solution at all. Communal work is good for community building and ownership, but when it comes to waste management and improving sanitation in the city, this does not solve it. When it comes to flooding, this does not solve it,” she stated.
The environmental expert warned against placing excessive emphasis on indiscriminate waste disposal as the principal cause of flooding, arguing that such an approach oversimplifies a far more complex challenge and risks diverting attention from the structural deficiencies that continue to leave communities vulnerable whenever heavy rains occur.
According to her, the flooding problem is largely driven by inadequate and ageing drainage infrastructure, increasing volumes of stormwater runoff resulting from rapid urbanisation and widespread concrete developments, weak enforcement of laws protecting wetlands, the lack of sufficient stormwater retention ponds, and drainage systems that are frequently overwhelmed during periods of intense rainfall.
Dr. Ohemeng-Ntiamoah explained that many of Accra’s major drainage channels were originally designed decades ago to withstand rainfall associated with a 25-year flood event.
However, changing climate conditions and increasingly extreme weather patterns mean those systems are no longer capable of handling today’s rainfall intensity.
She therefore urged policymakers and engineers to redesign future drainage infrastructure using standards capable of accommodating 100-year flood events, noting that many cities across the world facing climate-related flooding have already adopted such engineering benchmarks to improve resilience.
Her comments come at a time when Ghana continues to grapple with recurring floods that have claimed lives, destroyed homes and businesses, displaced residents and caused millions of cedis in economic losses, particularly in Accra and other major urban centres.
