Mahama reveals why Accra keeps flooding after deadly rains

President John Dramani Mahama has warned that Accra's flooding crisis is being fuelled by a dangerous combination of climate change, uncontrolled urban development and human negligence, saying the capital can no longer cope with increasingly intense rainfall.

Speaking after an aerial inspection of communities devastated by Monday's floods, the President said the disaster exposed deep structural problems that go far beyond blocked drains, warning that unless urgent action is taken, similar tragedies will become more frequent.

The floods, which claimed at least nine lives and displaced hundreds of residents, submerged major roads, homes and businesses across the Greater Accra Region, prompting renewed scrutiny of the city's preparedness for extreme weather.

Mr Mahama said rainfall data from the Ghana Meteorological Agency showed that the intensity of storms hitting the capital had increased dramatically in recent years.

According to the President, Accra recorded about 140 millimetres of rainfall in a single day, compared with a maximum of 56 millimetres on a typical heavy-rain day last year.

He added that cumulative June rainfall has risen sharply over the past three years, increasing from 85 millimetres in 2024, to 172 millimetres in 2025, and 333 millimetres in 2026 over comparable periods.

"The rains are becoming more intense and more frequent," he said, explaining that drainage channels now have little time to recover before another storm arrives.

But Mr Mahama stressed that climate change alone does not explain Accra's recurring floods.

He said the city's geography—lying between the Akwapim mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean—means stormwater naturally flows through several waterways before reaching the sea. However, years of rapid urban expansion have blocked many of those channels.

According to the President, unplanned construction, encroachment on waterways and shrinking wetlands have created severe bottlenecks, preventing floodwaters from draining away quickly during heavy rains.

He also blamed human activities, particularly the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and the conversion of wetlands into illegal dumping grounds and housing developments.

Mr Mahama described reports that some wetlands had been filled with waste and later sold for construction as deeply troubling, warning that such practices increase flood risks not only for developers but for entire communities.

He said solving Accra's flooding problem would require more than new drainage projects.

Instead, he called for stronger enforcement of planning regulations, the removal of buildings obstructing waterways and sustained efforts to restore natural drainage corridors.

The President acknowledged that demolishing illegal structures often attracts public criticism but argued that inaction carries a far greater human cost.

"People sometimes think enforcement is harsh," he said. "But when waterways are blocked, the consequences are borne by the whole city."

His remarks come as the government steps up both immediate relief efforts and longer-term plans to strengthen Accra's resilience against flooding, including proposals to improve drainage infrastructure and reduce development pressure on the capital.

For many residents still clearing mud from their homes and businesses, the latest disaster has once again highlighted the growing urgency of tackling one of Ghana's most persistent urban challenges before the next heavy rains arrive.