Executive Director of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Wakefield Ackuaku, has argued that Ghana’s recurring floods are not merely an environmental problem but a reflection of the country’s declining cultural values.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, he said the persistent flooding experienced across the country stems largely from a departure from the principles and discipline that once guided Ghanaian communities.
According to him, viewing the flooding crisis through the lens of culture would help address many of the underlying causes of the problem.
He explained that indiscriminate dumping of refuse, poor sanitation practices and general disregard for the environment are acts that would have been unacceptable in traditional Ghanaian societies, where cultural values and community leadership promoted environmental responsibility.
Drawing on lessons taught in school about the relationship between man and nature, Ackuaku stressed that humans can never ultimately triumph over nature.
He noted that while people may ignore the environment for a period, nature eventually responds, often through disasters such as floods.
The NCC boss urged Ghanaians to embrace the communal values that characterised village life, where residents respected instructions from traditional authorities and collectively protected their surroundings.
His remarks align with the government’s newly launched Ghana Cultural Policy, which recognises the strong connection between culture and environmental sustainability.
The policy emphasises that Ghana’s cultural beliefs and traditional knowledge have long been shaped by the natural environment and calls for greater community involvement in environmental conservation through cultural institutions, sustainable practices and respect for the country’s ecosystems.
