Ghana Hydrological Authority — government agency addressing flooding and drainage management, calling for public participation in flood prevention and leading retention pond construction projects.
… Under Ghana’s laws, the Ghana Hydrological Authority is legally mandated to execute and maintain major storm drainage systems and flood control structures, while Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are responsible for inner-town and community drains. …
… Flood risk governance in Greater Accra is distributed across a complex and poorly coordinated institutional landscape: the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, the National Disaster Management Organization, the Ghana Hydrological Authority …
The Ghana Hydrological Authority is calling on communities across the country to play a more active role in preventing floods by reporting illegal developments and environmental offences before they escalate into disasters. …
The Ghana Hydrological Authority (HYDRO) has stated that Ghana’s persistent flooding cannot be resolved through engineering projects alone, stressing that changing public attitudes and behaviours is equally critical to reducing the country’s flood risk. …
… The platform is being implemented collaboratively by the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the Ghana Meteorological Agency, the NADMO and the Water Resources Commission under the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development (GARID) Project. …
… To manage the current emergency, a massive coalition consisting of the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), security services, and local assemblies has deployed emergency response and evacuation teams. …
… The event brought together representatives from the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, the Energy …
The Local Government Minister has rejected claims that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives are responsible for failure to desilt major storm drains, stating that the Department of Urban Roads holds the mandate and funds for such work. He noted that MMDAs receive only 10 per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund for sanitation, making large-scale desilting impossible alongside other sanitation obligations.
The Local Government Minister has rejected claims that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives are responsible for failure to desilt major storm drains, stating that the Department of Urban Roads holds the mandate and funds for such work. He noted that MMDAs receive only 10 per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund for sanitation, making large-scale desilting impossible alongside other sanitation obligations.
The article argues that Accra's perennial flooding is fundamentally a governance crisis rooted in institutional failures and inadequate urban planning, rather than a natural disaster cycle. The city's vulnerability stems from low-lying topography, an aging drainage system designed for a much smaller population, and a river network that existing infrastructure cannot accommodate.
Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei assured Ghanaians that government is stepping up efforts to respond to widespread flooding affecting Accra, Tema and surrounding communities following prolonged heavy rainfall since June 27. The minister, who inspected affected areas with President John Dramani Mahama and the Anti Flood Task Force, noted that climate change and human activities such as building on waterways and dumping waste into drains had worsened the situation.
The Ghana Hydrological Authority is calling on communities to help prevent floods by reporting illegal developments and environmental offences, stating that government interventions alone will not solve recurring flooding unless citizens take ownership of protecting their communities. The Authority's Head of Drainage urged residents to discourage indiscriminate dumping, illegal construction, and other activities that obstruct drainage systems.
The Ghana Hydrological Authority says that while climate change has intensified rainfall, persistent flooding cannot be resolved through infrastructure projects alone; indiscriminate refuse disposal, illegal construction on floodplains, poor drainage maintenance, and rapid urban development worsen flooding, and sustainable solutions require active public participation.
The Flood Early Warning System for Accra (FEWS-Accra) is now generating rainfall forecasts every 10 minutes with a two-to-three-hour lead time, but officials say validation exercises including threshold testing, sensor checks, and emergency drills must be completed before full reliance on the platform for flood response.
Heavy downpours have submerged Accra and Tema, displacing communities and disrupting businesses and infrastructure. The government has launched a multi-agency emergency response and pledged support for relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency has proposed a new legislative framework to transform itself into the Ghana Meteorological Authority, with expanded regulatory powers to license meteorological operators, establish standards, and become the sole official source of national severe weather warnings and public safety alerts.
Following heavy rains that have damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure in Accra and other parts of the country, the Government has pledged to intensify efforts to address persistent flooding challenges and support recovery efforts in affected communities.
The Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources has activated emergency response measures in flood-affected communities across Accra and other parts of the country following successive heavy rains, working with partner agencies to deploy response teams, provide relief items, assess infrastructure damage, and intensify drainage maintenance.
The Ghana Hydrological Authority says construction on two planned retention ponds as part of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development project is expected to begin by the end of the year, down from an original proposal of 18 ponds, following technical assessments and stakeholder consultations.
Residents in Kasoa's hillside communities are increasingly concerned about soil erosion caused by heavier, more unpredictable rainfall linked to climate change, which is damaging homes and livelihoods. Environmental experts attribute the problem partly to rapid uphill construction without proper drainage, tree removal, and warn that vegetation loss increases erosion risk during extreme rainfall events.