Accra flooding is a problem of indiscipline, not engineering — Mahama

Josephine Amuzu 07:35 - 01 June 2026

Add Pulse as a preferred source on Google

President Mahama addressing the enforcement issues surrounding the persistent flloding in Accra at the Ghana Diaspora Town Hall Meeting in London

President John Mahama attributes flooding in Accra to indiscipline, plastic waste disposal, and construction on waterways rather than engineering challenges, speaking at a diaspora town hall meeting in London.

President John Dramani Mahama says flooding in Accra is mainly caused by indiscipline, poor waste disposal, and building on waterways, not engineering failures.
He explained that plastic waste blocks drains and construction on natural streams and wetlands disrupts water flow from surrounding areas into the Atlantic Ocean.
Mahama made the comments at a diaspora town hall meeting in London on May 31, 2026, warning that enforcement against illegal structures often faces public criticism.

President John Mahama says flooding in Accra is mainly caused by indiscipline and poor building practices, not engineering failures.

Addressing hundreds of Ghanaians, investors, professionals and business leaders at the Ghana Diaspora Town Hall Meeting in London on May 31, 2026, Mahama said although the city has drainage systems, human behaviour continues to worsen flooding problems.

The flooding in Accra is not an engineering problem. It is just a problem of indiscipline. It's not an engineering problem. It's a problem of indiscipline, he said.

According to the President, many people dump plastic waste into drains, causing blockages that prevent water from flowing freely during heavy rains.

We have drains, and everybody says, why don't you do sealed drains? But the problem is when we do sealed drains, people drink sachet water, they eat papaya in those styrofoam plastics, and they just dump them anywhere. And these plastics wash into the drain, and they go and block the drain, he said.

President Mahama said blocked drains are only part of the problem. He explained that Accra’s location also makes the city vulnerable to flooding.

He stated that water naturally flows from the Akuapem mountain range through streams such as the Odaw, Densu, Sakumo, and Korle into the Atlantic Ocean. However, many buildings have been put up along waterways, blocking the natural flow of water.

Before people came to Accra, you had the Lafa stream, you had the Densu, you had the Sakumo stream, you had the Kole stream, you had the Odaw stream. All of them were rainwater that falls in the mountains that flow through to the Atlantic Ocean.Then you come and build a city in the path of those streams. What do you expect the streams to do? he asked.

The President also blamed building on wetlands and Ramsar sites for worsening flooding in the capital. According to him, wetlands help absorb rainwater and release it gradually into the sea.

But when people fill these areas and build on them, the land loses its ability to contain excess water. This, he said causes the water to overflow and flood people's houses.

He also criticised traditional authorities for selling land in waterways and warned that government action to remove structures from flood-prone areas often faces resistance.

Now when government takes action and begins breaking people's houses out of the waterway, the same people will say, you are wicked, he said.

His comments come as parts of Accra continue to experience flooding during the rainy season, raising concerns over drainage, waste disposal, and uncontrolled development.

“The flooding in Accra is not an engineering problem; it is just a problem of indiscipline." - President John Mahama#3NewsGH #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/pFIhJ321lG
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) June 1, 2026

Update Me