Ghana could face more devastating floods and weather-related disasters unless urgent investments are made in weather monitoring systems and climate-resilient infrastructure, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has warned.
Nana Kofi Opoku, Principal Meteorologist at GMet, said the country still lacked enough weather stations, radar systems and forecasting tools needed to accurately predict dangerous weather conditions and protect lives and property.
Speaking in an interview, he stressed that stronger observation systems were critical to improving weather forecasts and disaster preparedness.
“The more observation networks we have, the better we are able to get data and the better the models will run to generate a forecast,” he said.
According to him, radar systems were especially important because they provided more detailed information about approaching storms, including their speed, movement and likely impact areas.
“Again, we need multiple number of radars because these radars give us finer resolutions when the systems are approaching the country,” he added.
Mr Opoku revealed that although UNESCO recently supported GMet with nine automatic weather stations, the country still remained far below the required coverage needed for effective forecasting nationwide.
He explained that Ghana once had close to 600 weather stations, but years of poor maintenance and logistical difficulties reduced the number drastically to about 60 at one point.
While the agency has managed to rebuild some capacity, he said Ghana currently has only a little over 150 stations.
“We need no less than 600 well-equipped stations across the entire country,” he stated.
Beyond forecasting equipment, the meteorologist also raised concerns about worsening flooding in cities such as Accra, blaming rapid urbanisation, weak drainage systems and construction on waterways.
He noted that many drains built years ago could no longer handle the growing volume of rainwater due to population growth and uncontrolled development.
“Most of the drainage systems have become too small. The city is developing, the population is increasing and many areas that should not be built on are being developed,” he said.
Mr Opoku also pointed to excessive paving and concrete surfaces across the capital, saying they prevented water from soaking into the ground and increased flooding during heavy rains.
He urged government, donor agencies and development partners to invest more in early warning systems, flood-resilient infrastructure and public education on disaster prevention.
According to him, floods continue to destroy homes, businesses and livelihoods within minutes, wiping out investments people spent decades building.
“It can take people 10, 15 or 20 years to acquire property, but one flood event can destroy everything,” he cautioned.
Mr Opoku called for collective action from citizens, city authorities and institutions to reduce the country’s recurring flood disasters.
