Government intensifies flood response as Mahama tours affected areas, urges public cooperation

• Government has intensified its flood response after days of heavy rains affected Accra, Tema and surrounding communities, with President Mahama touring flood-hit areas.

• The Ministry says emergency teams, relief efforts, drainage clearing and enforcement against illegal structures blocking waterways are underway.

• Residents have been urged to avoid floodwaters, move to higher ground when necessary and stop dumping waste into drains to help reduce flooding.

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In a statement issued on Monday, 29th June 2026, the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, said he joined President John Dramani Mahama and members of the Anti-Flood Task Force on a tour of flood-hit communities to assess the extent of the damage and review ongoing interventions.

"The tour helped us to, once again, validate the causes of flooding in the affected areas and an evaluation of the remedial solutions being considered," the Minister stated.

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According to the statement, sustained rainfall since 27th June has caused widespread flooding that has affected homes, businesses and public infrastructure, particularly in low-lying areas, while disrupting economic and social activities.

The Minister expressed sympathy to those affected, saying, "We fully appreciate the pain, disruption, and economic hardship that these events will impose on households, traders, transport operators, and businesses."

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He assured victims that government remained committed to supporting "relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts."

The Ministry attributed the recurring floods to a combination of extreme weather, rapid urbanisation and human activities such as encroachment on waterways, indiscriminate waste disposal and non-compliance with planning regulations.

"Sustainable flood management can only be achieved when we collectively protect waterways, maintain proper sanitation, and adhere strictly to land-use and environmental regulations," the statement stressed.

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The Ministry said it is working with the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and the security services to implement emergency measures.

These include deploying emergency response teams, providing evacuation support where necessary, distributing relief items to displaced persons, assessing damaged infrastructure and intensifying drainage clearing in flood-prone areas.

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The statement added that enforcement operations to remove illegal structures blocking drains and waterways would continue, alongside extensive desilting, excavation of major drains and the construction of new drainage channels to improve stormwater flow.

Government also announced plans to expand and rehabilitate drainage infrastructure, strengthen early warning systems and restore wetlands and lagoons to reduce the country's flood vulnerability.

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The Ministry urged residents living near rivers, lagoons, drains and other low-lying areas to move to higher ground when necessary, avoid driving or walking through floodwaters and keep children away from flooded areas.

It also appealed to the public to stop dumping refuse into drains and refrain from building on waterways, stressing that collective action is essential to building safer and more resilient communities.