Government is accelerating investment in coastal protection and flood control infrastructure as rising sea levels, urban flooding and climate volatility threaten communities, economic assets and public finances, Works and Housing Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei said.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series, Adjei said the government has completed major coastal defence works at Komenda, Ningo and Elmina, protecting an estimated 15 kilometres of shoreline and safeguarding lives, livelihoods and infrastructure in high-risk coastal zones.
The projects form part of a broader climate resilience strategy aimed at reducing exposure to flooding, erosion and storm surges that increasingly disrupt economic activity along Ghana’s coastline.
At Komenda, the completed works include a bridge and a modern fish market, improving transport links and supporting fishing-based livelihoods. In Ningo, extensive lagoon dredging has reduced flood risks to residential areas and restored public access to the beachfront. The third phase of the New Takoradi Sea Defence Project at Elmina has also been completed.
Several other coastal projects remain underway, including Dansoman at 95% completion, Anomabu at 81%, Cape Coast Phase 1 at 80% and Aboadze at 75%. Phase 2 of the Blekusu Coastal Protection Project, launched after tidal waves displaced thousands in the Ketu South Municipality, is now 25% complete.
Flooding inland remains a major concern, particularly in rapidly urbanising cities. Adjei said a Presidential Task Force on Flooding has been established to coordinate mitigation efforts across ministries and agencies, supported by detailed drainage assessments across key hydrological basins.
Under the National Flood Control Programme, about 1.76 kilometres of storm drains have been constructed nationwide as of December 2025. In Accra, performance-based dredging of the Odaw Channel removed more than 90,000 cubic metres of sediment, improving water flow and reducing flood risk.
Drainage and road upgrade works in Alogboshie, Akweteman and Nima are between 58% and 65% complete, while additional drainage interventions have commenced in Achimota, Kaneshie and Paloma.
To strengthen disaster preparedness, the government has deployed flood early warning systems across major water bodies in Accra, integrating data from the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation and the Ghana Meteorological Authority.
In Kumasi, grant-funded flood risk assessments covering the Sisai, Wiwi and Abuabu basins have identified both short-term and long-term mitigation measures, including dredging, land-use controls and floodplain restoration.
“These investments are essential to protecting economic productivity, urban infrastructure and vulnerable communities as climate risks intensify,” Adjei said.
