For decades, the residents of Accra have lived in a state of perpetual anxiety and fear every rainy season. For many residents, the formation of rainy clouds alone in the sky sends shivers down their spines. This is because just a little downpour can have a devastating impact and threaten lives.
Each rainy season brings the same cycle of torrential downpours, devastating floods, and a flurry of government promises. At least in the Fourth Republic alone, numerous flood prevention programs have been launched.
Yet, despite a staggering list of multi-million dollar initiatives aimed at modernizing the city’s drainage and sewage systems, the “catastrophic curve” of Accra’s flooding remains stubbornly unchanged.
For many concerned Ghanaians, it appears there is no end in sight, considering the millions of dollars without any significant improvement. Bright Simons, a policy analyst with IMANI Africa, points out a grim reality that while all cities experience flooding, the difference between a city like London and Accra is the threshold for disaster.
In London, heavy rain might cause just a “nuisance”; in Accra, that same volume of water triggers havoc, destroying livelihoods and claiming lives. He attributes this persistent failure to a phenomenon he calls “katanomics,” questioning why decades of projects have failed to deliver the promised modernization.
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“Why have none of these initiatives led to the promised modernisation of the drainage infrastructure? One possible answer: katanomics. Of course, all cities flood. The difference between a London and an Accra, however, is the “catastrophic curve”. The same amount of rain that would merely cause “nuisance flooding” in London would cause all manner of havoc in Accra,” he noted.
A look back at the history reveals numerous interventions aimed at addressing the situation. The pattern also reveals a cycle of ambitious plans that often fall short of their intended impact:
UESP (Urban Environmental Sanitation Project)
Launched in the 2000s as an earlier World Bank programme, this project focused on urban sanitation and drainage.
While it laid the foundation for later interventions and managed to reduce flooding in some low-lying urban areas through drainage upgrades, it was only the beginning of a long, unfinished journey.
Conti Accra Sanitary Sewer & Storm Water Drainage Alleviation
This proposed large-scale scheme was meant to be a game-changer, focusing on sewer and stormwater management linked to the Korle Lagoon.
Bright Simons reveals that despite advanced studies and partial preparatory works, the broader implementation was never fully realized, leaving a massive gap in the city’s infrastructure.
GAMA (Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project)
The GAMA Project ran from 2015 to 2024 and is currently in its closing phase. GAMA targeted sanitation with drainage benefits.
It resulted in metropolitan sanitation improvements and the construction of approximately 25 km of lined drains and 32 km of unlined drains, yet the city’s core drainage issues persist.
National Flood Control Programme
Since 2018, this continuing initiative has prioritized dredging and drainage works. Its key highlights include channel desilting, culverts, and emergency interventions in high-risk areas.
For many, this program feels like actions that are often temporary Band-Aids on a deep, systemic wound.
GARID (Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project)
This is the latest in the long line of initiatives. Spanning from 2019 to 2027, this ongoing project focuses on resilience in Greater Accra. It is aimed at tackling the Odaw basin works, implementing flood early warning systems, and supporting vulnerable communities.
However, the financing of the project has remained problematic, as the 2022 economic downturn and the subsequent fiscal consolidation affected the project. With a new commitment from the government, it is expected that this project will address the capital’s flooding menace holistically.
The Bottomline
Despite the long list of acronyms and the technical highlights, the modernization of Accra’s drainage remains a promise unfulfilled.
As GARID continues, the question remains: will it finally break the cycle, or will it become another entry in the long list of projects that failed to flatten Accra’s catastrophic curve?
