Accra flooding will persist without protection of water bodies - Nii Afotey Botwe II
The Nungua Otinnor Mantse and Chief Executive Officer of New Life Nungua Children’s Home International, Nii Afotey Botwe II, has warned that Accra will continue to experience devastating floods unless urgent measures are taken to protect rivers, lagoons and wetlands from encroachment and indiscriminate waste disposal.
Speaking to the media, Nii Afotey Botwe II attributed the recurring flooding in the capital to the destruction of natural waterways, occupation of riverbanks by developers and the lack of adequate waste management infrastructure.
According to him, many water bodies and wetlands that previously served as natural flood retention areas have been taken over for housing projects, leaving floodwaters with no space to spread before flowing into rivers and the sea.
“Most of our water bodies and riverbanks have been taken by developers. When the rains come, the water has nowhere to go, and this is one of the major causes of flooding in Accra,” he said.
The traditional ruler stressed that indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains, rivers and lagoons has worsened the situation, adding that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) lack sufficient dumping sites to manage waste effectively.
He called for greater investment in modern waste management infrastructure, including landfill sites and recycling facilities, and urged authorities to encourage private sector participation in waste management.
Nii Afotey Botwe II further stated that responsibility for the flooding problem should not be placed solely on government, but shared among chiefs, heads of families, developers and regulatory institutions.
“The seller of the land, the buyer and the authorities who are supposed to supervise development must all take responsibility,” he said.
He also called for improved urban planning, retraining of engineers and the preservation of natural vegetation around water bodies to reduce erosion and improve drainage systems.