Ghana flooding: And the show must go on

„Underground pipes seem to be good. But will pipes not also get clogged?“ a woman seriously asked me on Facebook when I suggested this system, common in Europe, Asia, the Arab world and the USA. Cold winters will freeze water in open gutters and burst them, and, being a closed system no chance to pump refuse into them. Only in homes and offices, sanitary pads or leftovers from dinners block the drainage system, a problem for home and house owners first and foremost, not the community. Water companies ensure problems are solved along the way, from toilets to recycling facilities. Any spillover, like in the UK, is severely punished by the state, and political pressure reinforces the correct operation of the sewage systems given to private operators. Most European countries keep this infrastructure in public hands.

In Europe, heavy rains not blocked sewage systems are the cause of flooding. In Germany, local councils pass regulations to end the trend of stone gardens to allow for the free flow of rainwater to be absorbed by the soil. Ghanaians take pride in covering their forecourts with stones, while Germans have come to understand that this can cause flooding problems and resist doing it. Hamburg, each year in autumn, is subject to serious flooding. Flood gates protect lives and livelihoods. The Green Party was formed and is part of the Hamburg government to address environmental issues. Ghana, like the rest of Africa, has no specialised political party to pressure the political establishment on matters of climate change and other environmental-related challenges, despite being a continent most affected by the related devastating effects. NDC or NPP in Ghana, like once SPD, CDU or FDP in Germany, are sleepy giants on this problem, unable to address it fundamentally in the short term.

President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama and his Vice yesterday (10.07.2026) got their hands dirty by cleaning open gutters, the preferred choice of sewage system in the country. Today, the exercise will continue. Words are spoken from the highest office of the country, Ghanaians must stop dumping refuse into open gutters and that structures blocking waterways must be demolished. Good sanitation must be the focal point of citizens to prevent lives lost in the years to come. The ghost voice of former NPP President Nana Akufo-Addo „I will make Accra the cleanest city in all of Africa“ hangs over the clean-up scenes, cloud and clear. The contract with Zoomlion, the garbage collection company, is in debate.

When the rainy season is over, and some affected people have received their financial compensation, high emotions will come down to normal to stay in waiting mode for next year around the same time. In Singapore, citizens who do not abide by the law receive heavy fines for harming the environment and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes with excess water in their flower pots. Ghanaians laugh about it, threatening political parties not to cast their votes for them at the next general election, making it harder for these politicians to chop state assets.

The clean-up exercise with prominent political leaders leading the crowd is like „Bread and Butter“ games in ancient Rome. As the old saying goes: And the show must go on!