Parrenial floods: Ghanaian engineers are ‘book engineers’ — Contractor

Felix Agbodzo, the Chief Executive Officer of Felix Construction Limited, has expressed deep concern over the inability of Ghanaian engineers to find lasting solutions to the country's recurring flooding problems.

Speaking on Accra 100.5 FM’s evening news on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, Mr. Agbodzo attributed the frequent inundation during even the slightest downpour to the failure of engineers to meet the expectations of Ghanaians.

According to Mr. Agbodzo, the country continues to experience severe flooding because engineers, who are expected to offer practical solutions, are relying too heavily on theoretical knowledge rather than practical fieldwork.

"As a stakeholder in the built environment, I know many of them and they can't depart from the book theories," he stated.

Many of them have operated outside the book by venturing into the field to find practical solutions to the engineering challenge of the country in relation to flooding, he maintained

Mr. Agbodzo made these comments in response to a recent downpour that resulted in significant flooding in parts of Accra.

He explained that Accra's topography as a valley causes floodwaters to converge in the area whenever it rains, leading to persistent flooding.

To address this issue, Mr. Agbodzo suggested the construction of underground tunnels to channel floodwaters directly into the sea, rather than relying on open gutters.

He pointed out that this approach is common in developed countries and questioned why it could not be implemented in Ghana if local engineers were up to date with current trends in the built environment.

"Why can't this be replicated here if our engineers are up to speed with current trends in the built environment?" Mr. Agbodzo questioned, emphasizing the need for more innovative and practical solutions to Ghana's flooding problem.

—Classfmonline