Effective environmental communication needed in Ghana to reduce risks, deaths and infrastructure damage

Fellow Ghanaian, I would like to humbly urge you to take this article as a wake-up call to help find solutions to the repeated rainstorm damage we experience over the years.

Let me begin this interactive and awareness-based piece with the historical facts of major rainstorms in Ghana. I believe they form the foundational building blocks of our understanding of the issue, providing objective, evidence-based information from the past, anchoring our collective memory, preventing the repetition of past mistakes, and guiding critical decision-making today.

The history of rainstorms and subsequent flash floods in Ghana is a recurring issue, particularly during the rainy seasons. Some of the most serious storms in the country’s history have caused massive infrastructural damage, widespread displacement, and tragic loss of life.

The unforgettable June 3 Disaster (2015): The most devastating flood in recent Ghanaian history, according to available information, recorded over 212.8 mm of rainfall across Accra in just a few hours. This resulted in widespread flash flooding, culminating in an explosion at a GOIL filling station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, killing over 150 people and affecting thousands more.

1999 Northern Floods: One of the most catastrophic natural disasters in Northern Ghana, when severe storms swept through the Upper West, Upper East, and Northern Regions, affecting over 300,000 people.

In 2018, floods in Accra and Kumasi followed heavy thunderstorms across Ghana’s two largest cities, claiming 14 lives and displacing over 34,000 people.

In March 2023, severe rainstorms and thunderstorms impacted Accra, cutting off roads, displacing residents, and claiming multiple lives. In the same year, the Akosombo Dam spillage, triggered by heavy rains and dam management decisions, forced the Volta River Authority to release excess water, displacing roughly 26,000 residents across the Volta and Eastern Regions.

Other major rainstorms and floods occurred in May 2025. Heavy rains across the country triggered deadly flash floods, with more than 132.20 mm of rainfall recorded in the Greater Accra Region, displacing over 3,000 people and resulting in four fatalities.

According to the Ghana Meteorological Agency, the heavy rainy season is ongoing, and while northern Ghana may experience temporary sunny breaks, the rest of the country, including Accra, is expected to experience a high likelihood of intermittent showers and scattered thunderstorms throughout the day and night.

Effective Communication of Weather Forecast Information to the Public

I believe the Ghana Meteorological Agency needs a more resourced and effective environmental communication department to improve the packaging, content, and delivery of its information. I stand to be corrected.

Effective communication of rainstorm forecasts is vital for saving lives and minimizing property damage. It bridges the gap between raw meteorological data and public action, ensuring that communities understand the threat, know their level of risk, and take timely preventive measures. There is a need for clear, targeted, and actionable storm communication.

It is time, as a nation affected by these disasters, that we shift focus toward impact-based environmental communication rather than only rainfall measurements. Research shows that modern forecasting emphasizes communicating what the rain will actually do, such as flash flooding, road closures, or structural damage.

We need impact-based decisions that allow individuals and local authorities to make context-specific choices and eliminate scientific jargon. Meteorologists often use highly technical vocabulary such as “stationary fronts,” “transient rains,” or specific accumulation measurements that can confuse the general public. Plain-language communication removes these barriers, allowing everyone, including non-native speakers, to understand the risk immediately.

Communicating uncertainty is also important because weather models inherently carry uncertainty. Effectively presenting probabilities rather than absolutes builds long-term trust with the public. If a storm’s path is uncertain, showing multiple possible scenarios helps prevent complacency and reduces loss of credibility when conditions change unexpectedly.

During flash floods and sudden rainstorms, people are often on the move. Mobile technologies, localized SMS alerts, and push notifications are critical for delivering immediate, location-specific warnings. Clear behavioural directives are required. A warning should not only alert people; it should tell them what to do, whether avoiding low-lying roads, securing outdoor items, or identifying evacuation routes. These specific steps are crucial for community resilience.

Environmental communication is the sharing of information, ideas, and policies regarding environmental issues. It translates complex ecological data into meaningful messages that shape public attitudes, encourage sustainable behaviour, and influence climate policy. It is an interdisciplinary field involving scientists, policymakers, the media, and the public.

Risk communication works alongside environmental communication by informing the public about environmental and health hazards such as flooding, water pollution, or poor air quality, and how to reduce their impact.

The Role of the Media

The Minister of State in charge of Climate Change and Sustainability must lay the foundation for stronger environmental advocacy and strategic campaigns to sustain public awareness through journalism, social media, and grassroots movements. This also calls for more journalists to specialise in environmental communication.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my former lecturer, Prof. Andrews Ofori-Birikorang, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of UEW, for his inspiration and guidance, which nurtured my interest in many areas of communication, including environmental communication.

Environmental communication during rainstorms involves translating complex meteorological and climate data into clear, actionable public warnings. Effective communication focuses on expected impacts rather than only statistics and uses real-time platforms to mobilise communities and reduce disaster damage.

According to experts, a warmer atmosphere holds significantly more moisture—about 7% for every 1°C of global temperature rise—meaning storms are producing increasingly intense and short-duration rainfall. This development requires modernised communication strategies to address climate misinformation, link extreme weather events to broader environmental changes, and reduce public confusion.

Effective storm communication is best structured around impact-based forecasting. Instead of reporting raw data such as “50 mm of rain,” agencies should communicate the likely effects, such as “risk of flash flooding” or “avoid low-lying areas,” to ensure public understanding.

Under effective environmental communication, multichannel dissemination strategies must be applied. Information should be distributed through local media, national meteorological platforms, and mobile weather applications to reach vulnerable groups quickly. Experts should also help explain the science behind severe rainfall, such as urbanisation reducing drainage capacity and climate change increasing atmospheric moisture, to encourage long-term public awareness and action.

Undoubtedly, climate change is affecting countries worldwide. Many coastal areas are experiencing extreme weather events such as rainstorms, flooding, and storm surges, leading to devastating impacts in low-lying coastal communities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, what I am advocating for is an effective environmental communication framework that can reduce disaster impacts by translating complex scientific data into clear, actionable, and culturally relevant messages. It should empower communities to recognise hazards, understand vulnerabilities, and take immediate preventive and protective actions.

The following strategic practices are essential for effective environmental communication:

1. Simplify and contextualise information by translating technical jargon into clear, non-technical, actionable language.

2. Leverage local engagement by adapting messages to local cultures, using community channels, traditional knowledge, and trusted leaders.

Ensure accessibility so that warnings reach the “last mile,” including translations and formats suitable for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and persons with health challenges.

Environmental stewardship and effective environmental management can also help prevent rainstorm disasters through nature-based solutions. By conserving watersheds, expanding green spaces, and restoring wetlands, communities can absorb floodwaters and reduce runoff before disasters occur.

A healthy environment remains one of our strongest protections against natural disasters, and these messages should guide both reflection and action toward stronger environmental communication and stewardship.

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