The government has revealed plans to demolish structures encroaching on six wetlands in Accra as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle perennial flooding and restore the city’s natural drainage system.
The move comes in the wake of Monday’s devastating floods, which claimed 10 lives, displaced 7,761 households and affected thousands of residents across several communities in the Greater Accra Region.
Presenting a statement in Parliament on Tuesday, June 30, Deputy Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, said the restoration of the wetlands is essential to improving Accra’s flood resilience and reducing the impact of future heavy rains.
She explained that the wetlands were originally designated as natural water retention areas to absorb excess runoff during periods of intense rainfall but have been heavily encroached upon over the years.
“Mr. Speaker, we have about six wetlands that have to be restored in Accra alone. The reason we have to do this is that we need spaces where we can hold water. The rivers must be given their room and the streams must be given their space,” she told Parliament.
According to the Deputy Minister, unchecked development on wetlands has significantly reduced the city’s capacity to retain stormwater, causing runoff to flow rapidly into drainage channels and increasing the risk of flooding.
She warned that government is determined to reclaim the affected wetlands, urging individuals who purchased land in those areas to seek redress from those who sold the properties.
“For those who have encroached and for those who sold the lands, please find a way of getting your money back because the government is going to take them and use them for the right purpose,” she stated.
Ms. Tetteh-Agbotui said the wetland restoration programme, together with sustained funding for flood control projects and strict enforcement of demolition exercises, forms part of the government’s long-term plan to safeguard lives, protect property and strengthen the country’s resilience against flooding.
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